Duty Versus Love
by Light-Eco-Sage
Summary: :COMPLETE: For the Avatar, choice is merely an illusion. Now Aang must face the ultimate choice a second time: between love and his duty to the world. Rated: Mature. Romance/sexuality. Canon pairings. Kataang, Maiko, George, The Doph
1. Life After the Century War

**Duty Versus Love**

**By Light-Eco-Sage**

**Rated: Mature. Romance/sexuality. Cannon pairings. (Kataang, Maiko, Sokka/Suki).**

**Summary: Six years after Sozin's Comet. For the Avatar, choice is merely an illusion. Now Aang must face the ultimate choice a second time: between love and his duty to the world.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**LES: This is my first fanfiction related to Avatar: The Last Airbender. It will be a little interesting for me to write for Aang, since he's only one of the two main characters I've ever written for without anger issues. And the only other monk I've written for had other issues… lechery issues. This story will feature the canon pairings from the show. If you don't like the canon pairings, do not read this story. And if you do read it, don't comment saying how much you hate the pairings. No one is making you read it. By the way, this story will revolve mainly around Aang and Katara, with the other relationships only mentioned. And the ages will be as follows: Aang/Toph: 18, Katara: 20, Sokka: 21, and Zuko: 22.**

**Edit: Due to the crack-down on fanfictions with Mature Content, this story is currently being edited so that all the Lemons are removed. They are simply removed from the story. However, if you still want to experience this story with Lemons, you can follow the Links to the Lemons on Tumblr. If you do, be prepared for the fact that the links contain sexually explicit content, and I am not responsible for the destruction of the innocence of those who follow those links knowing that they do not like/will not read lemons.  
**

**I think I've got all the lemons removed. If you find one that I forgot... PLEASE LET ME KNOW RATHER THAN REPORTING ME! I will remove it without the need for anyone to threaten me.  
**

**And, for those who want Lemons, all the links are set up to go to Tumblr. If there is a broken link that got slaughtered by fanfiction dot net's hatred of links, just head to my Tumblr page. I'll put a link in my profile.  
**

** Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter I: Life After The Century War**

Six years ago, every other nation in the world hated anyone to do with the Fire Nation, everything about them. They had started the Century War with an unprovoked attack on the peaceful Air Nomads, nearly wiping their entire culture off the face of the planet. Then, once the Air Nomads were wiped out, the Fire Lords set their sights on both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom, which had the largest tracks of land out of any nation.

The war against the powerful Earth Kingdom had lasted one hundred years while the world thought the Avatar, the mortal embodiment of the spirit of the planet and master of all four elements, had disappeared or been killed and for some reason, had not been reincarnated into the Water Tribe.

There were very few people in the world who knew the whole story about the latest in the line of Avatars.

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe was one of those people. The twenty year old woman hopped gracefully off Appa's back. She walked around the Flying Bison's massive six-legged form, and gently patted his nose. "Thanks, Appa." She said gratefully.

Appa yawned and started to head on his own to his specially designed stable.

Katara took in her surroundings. She was in a place she never would have imagined herself until six years ago, at least without being attacked: the Courtyard of the Firelord's Palace.

That was then, and this is now. Now she was more than welcome. She even had her own Palace in the Fire Nation's capital, just like she did in every capital on the planet. It was all part of the package being one of the Avatar's ambassadors.

She had just gotten back from one of her trips to the Northern Water Tribe, keeping the peace there while the Avatar himself was busy in the Fire Nation.

He may be the savior of the world, but even he couldn't be everywhere at once. That is why he had a Bending Master in every nation to act in his stead. Katara for the Water Tribe, Toph for the Earth Kingdom, and Firelord Zuko for the Fire Nation.

Speaking of which, that was who was coming down the front steps of the Palace to greet her.

Firelord Zuko and his wife, Firelady Mai, walked up to her with the regal grace of royalty, but with the smiles of friendship.

"Welcome back, Katara." Zuko said. "How as your trip?"

"Peaceful, as always." Katara answered. "Things just haven't been as exciting since the war ended."

Zuko smiled. "For which, I'm sure, the Avatar is very grateful."

"Where is he?" Katara asked.

Mai gave the younger woman a knowing smile. "I think you know where."

Katara laughed. Where was the Avatar's favorite place in Zuko's Palace? She bowed slightly, giving the Firelord the traditional sign of respect in the Fire Nation, which she learned when she infiltrated the Fire Nation six years ago. "Thank you."

Zuko and Mai nodded in acknowledgement as Katara took off.

"Those two are really tight, aren't they?" Mai commented.

"They are." Zuko said. 'But they have known each other for almost seven years. And they have been together for nearly that long."

"So, any word on if he's going to ask _The Big Question_?" Mai asked, referring, of course, to a proposal. Zuko did not attempt to answer. Mai glared up at her husband. "Has he told you anything?"

"No, he hasn't." Zuko said. "As his friend, I would love to see him get married to the woman he loves. But I don't think that the rest of the world will share our sentiments."

Mai stared at her husband, confused. But Zuko offered no further explanation, and she did not press him.

* * *

Katara knew her destination, heading straight for the torch-lit garden at the center of the Firelord's massive complex. She paused at the entrance of the garden.

He was seated at the base of the largest tree in the garden where she had seen him many times before.

Avatar Aang. When she first met him, he was a goofy twelve year old kid and he was certainly not who she expected the Avatar to be. She always had this mental picture of the Avatar in her head growing up, and it was always the picture of a wise old man with distant eyes, like he wasn't connected to anything in the world. Aang was nothing like that. He was youthful, full of spunk and charm, and a little childish and immature. And his eyes were anything but disconnected. His eyes were probably the most expressive and deep that she had ever seen. Grey eyes, like the sky before the storm. It was during the months that she travelled with him on his quest to master the four elements and defeat the evil Firelord Ozai, she grew to care about him, and eventually, she grew to love him.

It really shocked her when she first discovered that Aang was in love with her as well. She hadn't expected a twelve year old boy to return her feelings, so she had quietly resolved to wait for him to get a little older.

She hadn't taken into account that he was the Avatar with a thousand past lives. Odds were he had fallen in love hundreds of times and could recognize it within himself, even at such a young age.

So, after Aang defeated Firelord Ozai, they decided to ignore his youth and begin a relationship.

That was six years ago, and Aang was no longer a boy. He was a man now, the youngest fully-realized Avatar in the long history of Avatars. Other Avatars took years to obtain mastery of the four elements, but Aang completed the same feat in months.

The eighteen year old sat in silent meditation, wearing the robes befit of an Avatar born to the Air Nomads. Aang was more than an Air Nomad… he was the last one. The only Airbender left in the entire world.

She approached him silently, having no wish to disturb his meditation just yet. She should have realized that her efforts were futile.

"Katara, I know you're there." Aang said with a small grin that she couldn't see. He hadn't even looked around at her. Most were put off by his unnatural perception, but Katara knew there was no trick. It was simply Earthbending, an Earthbending technique so ancient that even most Earthbenders had forgotten it. Toph, Aang's Earthbending teacher, was blind, so she used Earthbending techniques taught to her to her by the original Earthbenders, the blind badger-mole.

She could sense the vibrations in the Earth and use it to paint an accurate picture of her surroundings. She had taught this blind form of Earthbending to Aang, so he could feel his surroundings through vibration too, although not as good as Toph could. Feeling Katara sneaking up behind him had probably been cake-walk for him.

Aang created a small pocket of air underneath him and lifted himself gently off the ground and onto his feet.

Katara never got tired of watching him Bend, able to use all four elements as naturally as his native Air element. He could use all known forms of Bending. Airbending, Waterbending, Bloodbending (which he swore to never use on any human, since he found the idea just as repulsive as his teacher, Katara), Earthbending, Metalbending, Firebending, and Lightningbending. He even knew the rarest form of Bending: the terrifying Soulbending, which allowed him to enter a person's soul and Bend it to his will. She had only known Aang to have performed it once, against Firelord Ozai, when he took his Firebending away forever.

All that combined in one mortal frame made Aang, by far, the most powerful being on the planet. But, to Katara, he was simply Aang, the man she loved.

Katara went to him willingly, and into his arms, gazing up into his stormy grey eyes. "Aang…" She trailed her fingers lightly against his jaw line. "I missed you."

Aang smiled and pulled her into a kiss, which she eagerly returned. The months away from her and seemed impossibly long to him. "I missed you too." He whispered back as they broke apart. "How was your trip to the Northern Water Tribe?"

Katara waved him off. "Nothing that you'd need to worry about. Just a few squabbles. Can you believe some of the Waterbending teachers still have trouble teaching combat Waterbending to girls? I must have dueled half the Waterbending Masters at the North Pole these last few months."

Aang laughed. "You beat them all, didn't you?"

"Yes." Katara said with a small smile.

"I thought so. None of those masters are a match for you. You are, after all, the one who taught me everything I know about Waterbending."

"You surpassed me a long time ago, Aang." Katara kissed him again, but this time, it was cut rudely short by the entrance of Katara's protective older brother, Sokka.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Sokka ran into the Courtyard, yelling, while Aang and Katara pulled apart nervously. "Just because I approve of you two being together, doesn't mean I want to walk in on you two _being together_!"

"Hello, Sokka." Katara said sourly. She always had much less patience with Sokka than Aang. After all, Aang was constantly walking on a tight rope trying to prove with every waking moment that he was good enough for Sokka's younger sister.

"Sokka, what brings you here?" Aang asked.

"Oh yeah. That." Sokka said, and then turned on Aang. "Look, Aang, we all know that you are the mighty Avatar with an army of servants waiting on you hand and foot twenty-four hours a day, but even the maids have a limit. They asked me to tell you to stop practicing Metalbending in your room. They found a mountain of metal in your room. I guess the maid quit."

"Oh, uh…" Aang blushed. "Sure, I'll try to restrain myself."

"Practicing Metalbending?" Katara asked. "But you are very good at Metalbending, being the only student of the one who invented it."

"I know. There are just some things I need to figure out." Aang said cryptically while shifting his eyes away from her face.

"So, when are we going home?" Sokka asked excitedly. 'Home' being the Southern Air Temple, since they had been helping Aang clean up and restore his childhood home in their spare time. He was excited to go home because his new wife, Suki, had decided to stay behind to protect the Air Temple in their absence.

"I suppose it's up to Katara." Aang said. "She just returned from the Northern Water Tribe. Katara, are you going to be okay traveling tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. All I need is a good night's sleep tonight." Katara said, smiling.

"Then it's settled." Aang said, smiling. "Tomorrow, we'll begin traveling back to the Southern Air Temple."

"Thanks, Aang." Katara said, giving him a soft kiss, mainly to see her brother get all flustered, and started to walk away.

Sokka glared at his Avatar friend and gave him the universal sign of 'I'm watching you', and then walked away also.

Aang shivered.

* * *

Later than night, Aang sat on the floor of his room doing exactly what he promised not to do, practice Metalbending. He held a small piece of metal in his hand while his fingers ghosted over the surface of the metal in small subtle movements. To his side lay a small pile of similarly shaped talismans, all discarded as failures.

After several moments, Aang seemed to grow equally frustrated with the metal in his hand and tossed it away with disgust.

He had been working on this 'little project' for months and had yet to come up with a solution.

It had all started months ago when he decided that it was well past time to marry Katara. Then that brought up a whole other question. What sort of pendant should he give her to symbolize their engagement? In the Water Tribe, a necklace was given, but the Air Nomads preferred bracelets. He eventually decided on both, since their marriage would be a blending of two different cultures. But those problems were minor compared to the ones he faced now.

The new problem was that he had no idea how to etch the proper symbols into the metal. He never had a chance to learn the skill from his mentor, Monk Gyatso. Air Nomads didn't learn how to make a betrothal bracelet from their elders until they came of age, and Aang had been twelve when he ran away from the Air Temple. With Metalbending, he could easily shape the metal into the size and shape he wanted, but his first attempts at manually etching the symbols into the metal with the tools he found around the Air Temple turned into useless failures. Then it occurred to him to simply use Metalbending to etch the symbols into the metal, but that was easier said than done.

The problem was the very nature of Earth and Metal bending. What Aang was trying to do was subtle, and Earthbending was hardly the most subtle form of Bending. It was a hard-learned fact when he first tried to master Earthbending years ago. It was great when you wanted to throw giant rocks at your foes and tear your way out of a metal prison cell, but near useless for etching fine symbols into a small piece of metal.

Toph, his blind Earthbending master, had been just as stumped as he was when he asked her about his problem.

So, here he was, months later, still trying to figure out how to etch a simple Air symbol into a piece of metal. It wasn't going very well. The most he had been able to do was give the metal some kind of ripple effect, which did look beautiful and normally would have pleased him, but not today.

"Still not going well?" Aang glanced around and saw Toph leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.

Most people were unnerved by her unusual perception since she was blind, including her own parents, but Aang was more than used to it. She probably knew him better than he knew himself, since some days it seemed like she could read his mind. She certainly knew about his feelings for Katara long before he knew about them himself. The only thing she didn't know about him was what he looked like.

"Yes. I haven't gotten any closer to finishing this than I was a month ago."

"And I've told you a thousand times: you can't think like an Airbender when you are trying to Earthbend. Earthbending isn't about subtlety and fine carvings in metal. It just isn't made to do what you are trying to do."

"But if I can't do it, then I won't be able to marry Katara!"

"Calm down, Twinkletoes." Toph said, calling him by his old, familiar nickname. Despite Sokka's complaining that it wasn't very manly of him to answer to 'Twinkletoes' all the time, Aang was a little proud of the nickname. Being light on his feet was one of his Airbender traits, and he was very proud of it, just as he was proud of being an Air Nomad. Being the only person in the world who could fool Toph's Earthbending vision was a plus too. "Just hire an artisan to do it for you. You're the Avatar, I'm sure they would be lining up to do this for you."

"But both the Air Nomad and Water Tribe tradition says that I must make it myself." Aang explained. "Giving your love an engagement pendant made from your own hands shows how much you care about them, that you would devote time and energy to your love for them."

"So? You're all ready braking tradition by even considering taking a wife." Toph said. "If I remember my history correctly, Air Nomad monks almost never got married."

"True. But even the monks understood how important love is." Aang said. "Compassion, a trait that every monk needs, stems from love. Besides, I'm kind of the exception, aren't I? I'm the last Air Nomad and the last Airbender. The entire world is counting on me to become the Father of an entire race. If I don't, the Avatar Cycle will be broken the next time it goes around to the Air Nomads."

"Wow. Repopulating an entire race." Toph said casually. "Sounds like a tall order, even for the Avatar."

"Compared to 'you must master all four elements and defeat an all-powerful evil Firelord in less than a year', it seems relatively easy." Aang commented.

"Yeah, I suppose it does." She elbowed Aang. "Not to mention a _lot_ more fun in the doing!"

Despite his age and maturity, Aang blushed a deep red at the sexual overtones of her comment. After all, he had been raised by monks.

"Don't worry; I'm sure she'll like anything you give her."

"Maybe… I'm going about this all wrong." Aang was suddenly hit with a brainwave, shaping a new piece of metal into the desired shape. "After all, Zuko showed me that all bending is connected. Like using a Waterbending technique to redirect lightning. Maybe I shouldn't use Metalbending at all."

"Good luck trying to find another type of Bending to affect the metal." Toph said.

"I don't really need to change the metal. I just need to cut it." Aang said. There was a vase of Fire Lilies sitting on a nearby table, so Aang drew the water from them. "Sorry." He apologized quietly as the flowers wilted before his eyes.

He wasn't able to draw a lot of water from the flowers, but it was enough to do the job he had in mind.

Using small, perfectly controlled movements, he bent the water until an almost recognizable Air symbol appeared on the metal. Sure, it wasn't perfect and there was some fine-tuning needed, but Aang was exhilarated to be on the right track at last.

"So, did your idea work, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.

"Sort of." Aang answered. "It's not perfect, but at least I'm on the right track after all these months of fruitless attempts." He paused. "I've been in love with her for so long, and I've wanted to marry her since I was twelve years old. Back then, it was my young age holding me back. Now it was how to make these pendants properly. I just can't wait for the day I make her my wife."

"You're such a softie, Twinkletoes. I don't know how Katara puts up with you." Toph said.

Aang shrugged. "Love."

* * *

**LES: As an after note, as far as I'm aware, there is no official name for what Aang did to the Firelord in the Finale. So I decided to call it Soulbending. The lion-turtle said that it was Bending the energy within people. So I guess it could properly be called "Chibending", but I think Soulbending sounds cooler. Whatever, it's my story. And as for the Coming of Age, it is the same as in the show: sixteen. And there is a reason that Aang is two years late with his proposal. Basically, he spent his entire sixteenth year on Avatar business with no contact with Katara, so there weren't many chances to further their relationship. Then, sometime when he was seventeen, he met up with Hakoda to ask for his daughter's hand. Since then, he's been working on the engagement pendants. This will be explained in greater detail in later chapters. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.**


	2. The Southern Air Temple

**Chapter II: The Southern Air Temple**

* * *

They got up early the next morning and, with only Zuko and Mai to see them off, began their journey back to the Southern Air Temple on Appa's back.

The journey wouldn't take nearly as long as it would have six years ago since Appa had grown and was twice as fast as he used to be. Not to mention that the Air Bison had been all over the world several times over, so he never got lost anymore. All they had to do was have Aang tell Appa where they were going (it had to be Aang since Appa was Aang's animal guide), and the Bison would take them there.

The trip was mostly made in silence due to Katara's bad mood, which was a result of being unable to get close to Aang. The two always had trouble getting close to one another when they were traveling with her brother. The most risqué thing they could do with Sokka less than a foot away was hold each other's hands, and even that was met with dirty glares. It wasn't like they could sneak off anywhere on Appa's back.

Soon, the Southern Air Temple came into view, looking nearly as grand as it did in its glory days, except it lacked life. Right now, the only people living there on a regular basis were Aang and his friends. The only visitors the Temple received were diplomats coming to ask for Aang's assistance in some matter. Where it was once impossible to reach the Air Temple by any traditional mode of travel, the group had convinced Aang long ago that it needed to change. So, with Toph's planning and the massive power of Aang's controlled Avatar State, they carved a stairway into the mountainside. Aang or Toph could destroy it at a moment's notice at the first sign of trouble.

Not that many people would be foolish enough to attack a fully-realized Avatar head-on.

They landed and Aang leapt gracefully off Appa's back, using Airbending to cushion his landing. He took in the sight of his nearly restored childhood home. He could almost see the Air Nomad monks moving through the cloisters and halls on their daily business while some young Airbending novices practiced their latest moves in the courtyards. Then he blinked and the visions of the past were gone, replaced by empty halls and empty courtyards.

Aang sighed heavily, and Katara slid down Appa's side and landed next to him, taking his hand in hers.

"I know what you are thinking." Katara said. "You may be the last Air Nomad, but you are not alone."

Aang gave her a grateful smile and pulled the young woman closer to his body. His lips were almost touching hers when he suddenly got shoved aside.

The identity of his shover quickly became apparent. "Suki!" Sokka had elbowed his way through the Avatar and his girlfriend to get to his wife. The former Kyoshi Warrior rushed up to her husband and into his arms, where they immediately occupied each other in a passionate kiss.

"Filthy hypocrite." Katara growled softly. She grabbed the front of Aang's robes and pulled him into a passionate kiss that rivaled the one going on mere feet away. His hands found its way down to the small of her back, pulling her closer into the warmth of his body while her arms wrapped around his neck to cradle the back of his head. It never failed. The best time for Katara to have a moment with Aang was when her hypocritical brother was having a moment with his wife.

But it ended all too soon, Sokka and Suki separated and Suki turned her attention on Aang. "Aang?"

The young Avatar sighed as he pulled away from Katara. "What is it?"

"A small delegation arrived from Ba Sing Se last week." Suki said. "They've been waiting for an audience with you ever since."

"They waited that long?" Aang asked. "I could have been gone for several more months if things hadn't gone so smoothly in the Fire Nation."

"They opted to stay of their own free will. They said it was very important they speak with you upon your return."

Aang sighed. It was probably just the usual treaties. As the Avatar, he was the ultimate moderator between the nations. There hadn't been a treaty approved in the last six years without the Avatar's seal, the symbols of all four nations combined into one.

"All right. I'll see them." Aang said. "Sokka? Could you go with Suki and show them to the Sanctuary?"

Sokka nodded. "Sure." He and Suki went on their way.

Aang turned to Katara. "I'll see you soon, Katara." He gave her a quick kiss, and then began to make his way to the Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary was the place where the council of the Head Monks of the Order presided over the affairs of the Temple. It was the same room where, one hundred and six years ago, he learned of his identity as the Avatar. It was the place where his life changed forever. No longer was the simply the Air Nomad Aang, an Airbending prodigy who had mastered Airbending unusually quick. From that moment, he became Avatar Aang.

Aang stepped into the room, feeling once more the awe that he was the one now seated in this holy place.

He could almost see himself, a small twelve year old boy, standing before the Head Monks as they told him that he was the Avatar, and they had known since he was a toddler, simply because he chose four special toys from among thousands, relics from his past lives.

_I was so scared back then. Scared of being the Avatar. Scared of my own destiny._ Aang sat down on the spot reserved for the Head of the Order. Being the only Air Nomad left, he technically _was_ the Head of the Order now. He smiled to himself. _Just like the wind, things always change._

A moment later, Sokka and Suki entered the room; followed by a small group of noblemen from Ba Sing Se. Aang could tell from their dress and manner that they were high-ranking officials. They probably worked right under the Earth King.

Sokka and Suki walked right up to Aang while the officials held back and bowed to Aang deeply. Aang could tell from the looks on their faces that they were horrified that Sokka and Suki would approach him without showing him the respect he was due as the Avatar, and Aang almost laughed out loud. He would never ask them to behave like that with him, and any time they did, it was usually as a joke. They meant more to him than simply his Ambassadors. They were his friends. Aang had saved their lives on numerous occasions, but they in turn, had saved his life several times. He respected and trusted them all deeply, which is why they gained the privilege to be relaxed in the Avatar's presence.

"Aang, the messengers from the Earth King." Sokka announced, as he and Suki moved into the back of the room, obviously guarding the door.

The man who seemed to be in charge of this group glared back at Sokka and Suki. "Our message concerns the Avatar only."

Sokka shook his head. "Nuh-uh. No way. Assassins have come after Aang before. You wouldn't be the first to try to kill the Avatar while pretending to be messengers."

"What?!?" The messenger yelled, outraged. "How dare you accuse us of being assassins?!?"

"Sokka." Aang's very voice seemed to bring peace and calm to the room. No one had really figured out how he did that. Maybe it was an Avatar thing, or maybe it was just an Aang thing. But his next words reminded all in the room just how dangerous he could be. "They wouldn't be the first assassins I've ever subdued either. Leave us. I will see them alone."

Sokka looked like he was ready to argue his point with Aang, but Suki took his arm and shook her head firmly. The message was loud and clear. Sokka sighed as he followed his wife out of the Sanctuary.

A few moments passed as Aang watched them walk away with his Earthbending sight. Once they were beyond his sight-range, he spoke. "What message just the Earth Kingdom have for me that must be delivered in privacy?"

The messenger cleared his throat. "Avatar Aang, though it pains me to remind you of such things, the Air Nomads were nearly driven into extinction a century ago. You are the only survivor, and the last Airbender in the world." Aang's hands fisted in his robes, but his face remained as calm as ever. "As the Avatar, I'm sure that you can feel that the delicate balance of the elements in this world has been distorted."

"I can feel it." Aang said.

"We also know that when the Avatar Cycle comes full circle, and there is no Air Nomad to become the new Avatar, the Cycle will break, and the Avatar will cease to exist."

"I am aware of that."

"Then I'm sure that you see now that the Century War is over, your greatest duty is to restore balance by beginning the rebirth of the Air Nomads and the Airbenders."

Aang closed his eyes and used Earthbending once again to check for eavesdroppers. There were none. "I am working on that. I am currently in the process of making my beloved an engagement pendant." At his words, the messengers exchanged uneasy looks. "What is it?"

"Well, with all due respect, sir… she is a Waterbender."

"What does that have to do with matters of the heart?" Aang asked.

"It is not so much a matter of heart as a matter of giving the Air Nomads the best chance they have." The messenger said. "Studies in the Earth Kingdom show that Bending abilities are passed on to the children by their parent's heritage. If you insist on marrying the Water Tribe girl, you will greatly reduce your chances of producing Airbending offspring."

"Are you suggesting that I betray the woman I love?" Aang demanded. "The woman I want to marry?"

"We were… under the impression that your relationship… wasn't that serious." The messenger began nervously.

Now Aang was angry. His tattoos began to glow and he stood up forcefully, causing a gust of wind that forced the messengers back several steps. The glow of his Avatar State faded, but not his anger. "Not that serious?!?" He repeated angrily. "We have been together for six years!"

"It's just that… you Came of Age two years ago, and yet, you did not take her as your wife then."

"I've been busy since the end of the War, making a proposal near impossible." Aang said, a little more calmly. "As it was, we spent my entire sixteenth year in separate nations. I was only able to ask her father for her hand last year, and it has taken me months to work on the engagement pendants."

"And there is your age to consider." The messenger said. "After all, you were only twelve years old. A child. A child can hardly be expected to know what love is."

"But I was no ordinary child, was I?" Aang asked rhetorically. "I am the Avatar. I have lived a thousand times in a thousand different lifetimes. And I have loved a thousand times. And you say I do not know what love is?"

The messengers were looking less sure of themselves. "That may be, but the fact still remains that the Air Nomad nation is in a state of crisis. It must be rebuilt. The nations have decided that the best chance the Air Nomads have is for you to take non-bending women to your bed."

"Women?" Aang repeated, noticing his use of the plural.

The messenger nodded. "It is simple logic. Having several women will increase the number of your offspring greatly."

"Are you suggesting I keep a harem of women merely to bare my children?" Aang demanded. "Polygamy has been outlawed by the Four Nations for centuries!"

"The leaders of the three nations believe that now is the time for exception facing the extinction of the Air Nomads. The Earth King has gathered our Kingdom's most beautiful non-bending women who are ready and willing to serve you. Even for just one night."

"And… what does Firelord Zuko have to say about this?"

"The Firelord said that the desperate state of the Air Nomad Nation is the Fire Nation's shame. Therefore, he will do whatever is necessary, including sending the Avatar his nation's most beautiful non-bending women. But only at the personal request of the Avatar himself."

Aang was glad that Zuko, at least, was giving him a choice in the matter. Zuko, after all, was a friend. "And the Water Tribe?"

"The Water Tribe are a traditional people. They do not like the idea of the Avatar, the symbol of peace and prosperity in the world, breaking ancient laws and having a harem. But they agree that it is necessary. They are also willing to send you their non-bending women."

"How many women are we talking about?" Aang asked.

"Ten from each nation are ready and willing to serve you right now." The messenger answered.

Aang's mind was reeling. Thirty women?!? He could barely wrap his mind around it. The messenger's words appealed to his intellect and his duty as the Avatar. If he had thirty or more women, it would be positively easy to rebuild the Air Nomad nation within two or three generations. The future of the Air Nomads would be assured. However, the thought of betraying Katara in such a way made him nauseous. He closed his eyes, and took a deep cleansing breath to settle his stomach and stop himself from retching.

He finally managed to gather himself. "I shall consider your offer, but I would… like some time… to think about it." Aang said slowly, feeling like he was going to vomit as he spoke the words.

The messengers bowed, oblivious to the distress that Aang was in. "We understand that this is a lot to be asking of you, Avatar. Think it over, and send a message to the other nations when you come to a decision." They bowed themselves out the door.

Before Aang had time to compose himself properly, Sokka, Suki, and Toph stepped into the room.

"What's wrong, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked. "You're heart's going about a mile a minute and I can hear your insides jumping." She paused. "Are you gonna be sick?"

"I don't know." Aang answered truthfully.

"What did they want to talk to you about?" Suki asked.

"I—I don't want to talk about it." Aang said.

"Hey, Aang, we all know you better than that." Sokka said. "Anytime you say 'I don't wanna talk about it' is when you need to talk about it the most."

Aang sighed. They really did know him too well, didn't they? But at least Katara wasn't there.

"The messengers came from the Earth King in Ba Sing Se. The other nations are concerned about the current state of the Avatar Cycle."

"That's your cycle of reincarnation, isn't it?" Suki asked. "Earth, Fire, Air, and Water."

"Yes. When I die, my spirit will be reborn within a week of my death into the Water Tribe; and so on, and so forth." Aang said. "But the problem is that if the Air Nomad nation isn't built up again by the time the cycle comes back around to them, then the Cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist."

"Does that mean… you'll die… completely?" Suki asked.

"I'm not really sure. My spirit could utterly cease to exist, or the Avatar could go back to being a full-blown spirit lacking a physical body in the Spirit World." Aang said. "Those messengers wanted to talk to me about a plan to restore the Air Nomads as quickly as possible."

"I don't like the sound of this." Sokka said seriously. "Does this plan involve turning my little sister into an Airbending-baby-making-machine?"

"No!" Aang said forcefully. "You know I would _never_ use Katara that way! But the actual plan just might be worse than that. At least I'm in love with Katara."

"I think I know what the plan is." Toph said. "They wanted to turn you into some kind of Airbending stud, and have you get as many women pregnant as possible."

The other two stared at Aang in shock, looking for confirmation and, at the same time, hoping that Toph's words weren't true.

Aang sighed. "That about sums it up. They've got thirty non-bending women lined up for me."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "Thirty?!?"

"The non-bending part is important, isn't it?" Suki asked.

"They said if I had children with non-benders, I'd have a much greater chance of having Airbending children. But with someone who can Bend themselves…"

"Like Katara." Toph interjected.

"Yes, like Katara… my chances of having an Airbending child are greatly reduced." Aang said. "They as good as told me not to see Katara anymore."

"This is… completely crazy!" Sokka erupted. "Are you even considering this insane plan?"

"The Air Nomads need to be restored." Aang answered simply.

"This 'plan' of theirs goes against all legal, moral, and ethical laws in the Four Nations!" Sokka practically yelled. "You are Mr. Morality, who won't even eat meat despite it being the best food ever! Well, I say that having a baby-making harem is a lot worse than eating a dead animal." He jabbed Aang in the chest with his index finger. "Besides, we haven't even gone into what Katara will feel about this! Do you even _care_ about my sister, Avatar?"

Aang flinched. Sokka had always simply called him by his name. He had learned early on that whenever Sokka called him the Avatar, it meant that he was angered beyond all reason at him. Though, in this instance, Aang could hardly blame him.

"Sokka, I do care about your sister… deeply. I love her." Aang said.

"Having a harem is a funny way to show it." Sokka said sarcastically.

Toph diplomatically stepped between the two men. "Whoa, hold on Twinkletoes and Snoozles. It's not like Aang is the one who came up with this plan. And we all have to respect that his new duty as the Avatar is repopulating the Air Nomad nation. I don't like the sound of this plan any more than you do, but it _is_ ultimately Twinkletoes' decision."

"And my sister?" Sokka asked. "Where will she fit in with all this?"

Toph elbowed Aang. "I know you wanted to wait, but I think now is the time to tell him."

Aang glance at Toph. She was always more straightforward than he was. This showed in their Earthbending. Toph was such a natural, while Aang had to get his Airbender mentality beaten out of him, quite literally. While Aang was still trying to form an attack strategy, Toph was all ready charging in head-first.

In some instances, constantly dodging the issue like an Airbender wasn't a bad thing. But he could sense that Toph was telling him 'not this time'. Maybe she was right, and this was one of those cases were dodging the issue wasn't the right thing to do.

Aang reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out his half-finished bracelet, handing it to Sokka for his inspection.

At first, Sokka thought it was a Water Tribe betrothal necklace, but it was far too small to fit around any girl's neck that he knew. It also had an Air symbol carved into it. But, other than that, it was similar in design.

"What is this?" Sokka asked.

"In the Water Tribe, a necklace is given to symbolize engagement, but the Air Nomads gave bracelets." Aang answered. "I've been working on it for months."

"You want to marry my sister?" Sokka asked. "Have you talked to my father?"

Aang nodded. "Last year, when I went down to the Southern Water Tribe to help the other Waterbenders rebuild the Tribe. He gave me his blessing." Aang said. "I was going to talk to you when I was finished, but making it has taken longer than I thought."

"I can vouch for that." Toph said.

"So, how does this change things..." Suki asked, concern evident in her voice. "Between you and Katara… in light of this new information."

Aang sighed. "Above all else, I want to marry Katara. That is not going to change. They can't force me to not marry the one I love. This is going to be a personal decision between the two of us."

Sokka nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right about that. But I warn you, Aang…" Sokka growled in the Avatar's face. "If you hurt my little sister, I'll beat you so hard your past lives will end up with bruises!"

Aang wasn't really sure how _that_ was possible, but he didn't doubt Sokka for one second. After all, he was about a hundred times scarier than Hakoda, their father. "Okay. I promise." Aang swore. "I'll always put Katara first, no matter what happens. But can I ask for your… discretion about my proposal? It wouldn't be much of a surprise if you told her about it."

"Sure, Twinkletoes. You know I can keep a secret. I let my parents believe I was a helpless blind girl for years." Toph said, punching his shoulder and almost knocking him over.

"Sure, I'll keep your secret." Sokka said. "But only on the condition that you explain everything to her _before_ you propose to her."

"You have my word." Aang promised.

"Your secret is safe with us, Aang." Suki said. "And I know my husband won't say it, but we are behind you one hundred percent. We know that this will be a very hard decision for you."

"One that I refuse to make lightly." Aang said solemnly.

* * *

**LES: I don't know how many of you might have caught it, but the reference to Aang's friends being about to relax in his presence comes from the classic story "The Prince and the Pauper." In the story, a man saves the Prince's life while he is trapped in the Pauper's life. The Prince offers him any reward he wants and the man, thinking the Prince is joking, asks for the privilege of being able to sit in the presence of royalty, as opposed to the law of the land that says people must stand in the presence of royalty. The Prince grants his request and then later, once the Prince is back where he belongs, everyone is shocked by the man who dares to sit down in the Prince's presence. I just could see everyone treating the Avatar that way, except for his closest friends, who had earned the right to sit in his presence.**


	3. Explainations and a Proposal

**LES: For those of you who might grow concerned when reading this chapter, don't worry. There is no Lime or Lemon in this chapter, just some 'heavy petting'. I still haven't 100% decided whether or not to have a Lemon in this story, but if I do, it won't be for several more chapters. Also, I've deliberately twisted my knowledge of the Inuit traditions. I studied Inuit marriage traditions for this fic, but it turns out that the Inuits didn't think much about marriage. So, even though the Water Tribe is based on the Inuit culture, the Water Tribe in my story views marriage as a sacred bond between two people.**

**Chapter III: Explanations and a Proposal**

* * *

Several days had passed and, true to everyone's words, they had not given Katara one mention of what the Ba Sing Se messengers wanted or the fact that Aang was preparing to ask for her hand in marriage.

Within a few days of that fateful meeting, he perfected his betrothal bracelet and began work on the Water Tribe necklace, which took significantly less time than the bracelet since he figured out the basics of metal-carving with Waterbending during his work on the bracelet.

Aang sat in his room alone, staring at the two simple-looking objects before him.

For such simple objects, he had put months of effort into their creation. Here was the total accumulation and outward symbols of the love he had felt for the Water Tribe girl since he was twelve years old.

They were such simple objects, but in both their cultures, marriage was considered an unbreakable pact.

The concept of marriage itself was a little nerve-wracking, as it is for anyone standing on the precipice of a decision of this magnitude. But Aang knew that those feelings were simply the normal jitters. He was completely sure how he felt about Katara.

If there was one piece of knowledge that was passed down from Avatar to Avatar, it was what love was. His spirit couldn't have lived several millennia without learning the difference between love and similar shallower feelings.

Aang was one hundred percent sure who he wanted as his wife, and he felt reasonably sure that she fully returned his feelings and desires. But a dark cloud of uncertainty hung over the advent of his proposal: the message of the Earth King.

He had decided to leave the decision up to Katara completely. There were really three ways that it could go. She could do what the Avatar Spirit inside him wanted her to do: to accept him and the plan completely with the knowledge that she'd be his wife and _only_ love. She could do what his heart wanted: to accept his proposal, but reject the plan utterly. Or she could do the unthinkable: reject him completely.

He didn't know what he'd do if she rejected him. There would be no point to his life anymore, and he knew his heart would break if such a thing happened.

Aang moved over to the window, gazing into the sky at the full moon. Ever since he had mastered Waterbending, he had felt the moon's pull just like other Waterbenders.

"A full moon." Aang muttered to himself. "Princess Yue, is tonight a good night for a proposal?"

Of course, Aang received no answer from the moon. Princess Yue had been a Princess of the Northern Water Tribe, but she had sacrificed her life to become the Moon Spirit during the Siege of the North during the Century War. Now that she was a spirit, he could only speak to her in the Spirit World.

All he knew was that the Water Tribe placed great importance on events that happened during the full moon.

His mind made up, Aang grabbed the two different engagement pendants, and stored them safely inside his robes. He stepped out of his room and walked down the familiar halls with a purpose, heading for the place that he knew Katara was drawn to on the full moon, a natural hot spring below the Temple.

On his way down, he ran into Toph. He knew that she knew where he was going. He could feel his heart pounding roughly in his chest, so she would have no problem feeling the same thing.

"Good luck, Lover Boy." She said quietly.

Aang grinned at her, whispering quietly. "Thank you."

He continued on his way, climbing down the countless stairs until he reached the lowest level of the Temple.

* * *

The hot spring only had one occupant, just the woman he wanted to see.

Katara looked magical in the moonlight, dressed in the usual white swimwear she used for Waterbending practice. She flowed through the forms easily, with the moon aiding her powers.

Aang walked down the last few steps, and used a small movement to light all the torches around the hot spring.

Katara startled slightly when all the torches sprang to life on their own. She turned around on Aang, slightly upset. "Don't do that! I know the Fire Nation is peaceful now, but the old fears of fourteen years don't go away so easily!"

Aang grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry, Katara. I didn't mean to scare you."

Katara sighed. "It's all right. Just don't sneak up on me and Firebend. Let me know it's you first."

"Actually, Katara, I wanted to talk with you." Aang sat down on the stone steps. "Join me?"

Katara smiled and moved closer to him, leaning against him. "All right. What's on your mind?"

"It's complicated." Aang said, a little nervously. "I wanted to talk to you tonight to ask you a question, but I have some things to explain before I ask you. I want you to think about what I say before you answer. Promise me this."

"I promise, Aang." Katara said. "Now, what do you want to talk about?"

Aang fidgeted with his fingers. "Do you remember when we got back from the Fire Nation and I met with those Earth Kingdom messengers?" Katara nodded. "Well…" He mentally cursed his luck. He had literally spent _months_ planning the perfect proposal and the Earth Kingdom just had to ruin everything. "Well, the Three Nations are very concerned with the balance of the world, and so am I. The Earth Kingdom has come up with a plan that sort of goes against everything I was ever taught as a monk. But, at the same time, this plan could be the only real chance I have of rebuilding my people…"

"Aang? What is this plan?" Katara asked nervously.

"They… they want me to keep a harem of non-bending women to have my children." The words tasted like bile in his mouth, and he could tell they were having a similar effect on Katara.

"And… where will I fit in all this?" Katara asked. "Would a Waterbender be allowed in your harem?"

"Nothing is decided yet." Aang said quickly. He took her hands in his. "Katara, I'm not going to make that decision alone. It doesn't just concern me and my nation, but the woman I love. I'll leave whether or not I go through with this plan entirely up to you."

"I'm… flattered, Aang. But will the Earth Kingdom ministers accept that I made the decision for you? I am simply your girlfriend and Ambassador. Legally, I have no say over your affairs, whatsoever."

"It doesn't have to stay that way." Aang said. "Whether I go through with the Earth Kingdom's plan or not, there is one thing I know for sure: than I love you." Aang reached into his robes, and Katara's eyes widened. She began to suspect that the question that Aang wanted to ask in the first place was coming near. He pulled two objects out of his robes. Katara recognized one of them immediately as a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. The second object was similar, but smaller and bore the Air Nomad symbol on it. Katara guessed that it was some sort of betrothal object of the Air Nomad people.

Katara burst into quiet tears, but happy ones. The only reason Aang was able to correctly identify that she wasn't crying out of sorrow was the large grin on her face.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, will you marry me?" Aang asked hopefully.

Katara leaned forward to kiss him. "Yes, Aang. I'll marry you." She whispered between kisses. She pulled away slightly, her hands moving up to her mother's necklace. She carefully unclipped it and Aang realized what she was doing.

"You don't have to take off your mother's necklace." Aang said. "I'll be okay if you just wear the Air Nomad…"

"Aang, I want to start a new life with you." Katara said. "I'll always keep mother's necklace for safe keeping, but it's your necklace that I want to wear." She accepted Aang's betrothal necklace and clipped it in place where her mother's necklace once sat. And then Aang took her wrist and tied the Air Nomad bracelet there.

As soon as the items were secure Katara pulled the young Avatar closer and kissed him gently, but with great passion. "You know I've been waiting for you to ask me that for a long time." Katara whispered against his mouth.

Aang grinned. "I'm sorry for making you wait. It took me longer than I expected to work out how to make them."

"Well, I forgive you." Katara kissed him. "Aang, about… what the messengers said…"

"Oh, yeah."

"I need some time to think about it. I don't want to share you, but I also understand the importance of saving the Air Nomads. There is one thing I can promise you. I will give you children, Aang. I can't promise that they'll be Airbenders, but I will give you as many children as you wish."

Aang felt his mouth go dry. For the last few years, his hormones had really started to take their toll on the young Avatar. At Katara's words, his mind filled with thoughts of making babies, as it would for any warm-blooded teenage boy.

Katara, however, seemed to take no notice of his plight, and only intensified it. "It's a full moon tonight. Would you care to join me?"

Aang nodded dumbly, removing the robe that covered his chest.

Katara grinned in appreciation as his robe joined her own clothing near the stairs. When they were young, she had seen Aang unclothed down to his undergarments more times than she could count when they practiced Waterbending together. But she never really appreciated it then. Even after she grew to love him after the war, she didn't feel a physical attraction to him.

And then he really hit puberty full-force and his boyish body turned into that of a man's, seemingly over-night. It was then that she began to feel the flame of lust growing in the pit of her stomach.

When she turned sixteen and became of legal age to get married, it was like someone fanned the white-hot flames of love and passion in her heart, intensifying her need for him a hundredfold.

And now, here they were… two years late, but engaged to be married. The full moon's light seemed to perfectly accentuate his lean, but muscular form, as if Princess Yue herself were worshipping his body. But, then again, no matter what nature threw at him, he always looked perfect. Nature just loved the Avatar, and always seemed to make him look good.

Aang hesitated in reaching for the sash around his waist that held his pants up. It had also occurred to him that this time was very different from the other times she had seen him in a state of undress.

Katara took the initiative and reached for the cloth, slowly unwinding it from his body.

His breath caught in his throat as gravity took over and pulled the fabric down, leaving him only clothed in his undergarments. Aang took another deep breath. _Calm down. It's not like she hasn't seen me like this a thousand times before._ But, still, his mind insisted that something had changed. Now they were engaged.

Katara took his hands and pulled him into the water. Aang let out a deep sigh that he had unknowingly heated up with Firebending, making the water hotter. But that just seemed to intensify the feelings coursing through them.

He turned his attention to Katara. Her hands extended towards him, lightly tracing the sky-blue arrow tattoos that ran down the length of his arms.

"You know, Aang, I never told you, but these tattoos _are_ incredibly sexy." Katara said with a slight blush.

Aang blushed. "Really?" To the Air Nomads, the blue arrow tattoos simply marked a Master Airbender. They had a deep spiritual meaning to his culture, so he had never thought of them as 'sexy' before.

"Yes." Katara said. "As a healer, it is useful to have Chi paths tattooed on your patient's body. But you want to know something else about Chi paths?"

"What?"

"They are very sensitive." Katara whispered, her fingers now ghosting over the marks.

An unexpected shiver went up Aang's spine. Without much further ado, he pulled Katara into his body, pressing his lips harshly against her own.

Katara moaned into his mouth, her questing hands moving up and down his sides and chest, while his own hands stayed somewhere in the vicinity of her waist.

They moved together through the water until Aang had her pressed into one of the rock walls surrounding the spring. Katara gasped loudly as her back made contact with the cold stone. She dug her fingers into Aang's back and wrapped her right leg around his waist.

Aang gasped as she rubbed against him. He pulled away from her abruptly, gasping loudly.

"Aang?" Katara questioned, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, Katara. Now's not the right time." Aang said.

"Aang, we are engaged." Katara said.

"I know." Aang said. "I'm sorry. I know things have changed in the last one hundred years, but things were different growing up one hundred years ago. Marriage was seen as a deeply spiritual union, and sex was the physical expression of that union. I know what you are going through. It's just as hard for me to wait as it is for you. But I want our first time to be special… our wedding night."

Katara sighed. "I guess we were going a bit too far. I'm sorry, Aang. I keep forgetting that things were different one hundred years ago." She paused. "Well, I suppose I've waited for four years. What difference will a few more weeks make? It's just more incentive to plan our wedding quickly."

"Whatever you wish." Aang said.

"Well, what I wish right now is for you to kiss me again." Katara said seductively.

"Yes, ma'am." Aang said, gladly pulling her close for a passionate kiss.

* * *


	4. Preparations

**LES: Next chapter also includes my own personal interpretations about Guru Pathik's words about Earthly attachments.**

**Chapter IV: Preparations**

* * *

The next morning was quite interesting to say the least, especially when Katara made her way past Toph on the way to breakfast after finally emerging from her room.

"Whoa, is that you, Sugar Queen?" Toph asked. "You feel so light on your feet, I thought you were Twinkletoes, and no one can step lighter than him."

"I'm just really happy!" Katara said, grinning broadly.

"I know. Your heart's beating a mile-a-minute. And it usually only beats that fast when Twinkletoes is around. So spill."

"Spill what?" Sokka asked, walking up to them while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Suki was walking unusually close to him. Judging by the state of their clothes and hair, they had engaged in the same activity that she and Aang had not engaged in last night.

Katara felt a slight hint of jealously, but it was quickly snuffed out. First of all, Sokka was her brother, and just thinking about his sex life made her sick. Secondly, he and Suki had been married for some time now, so there were no propriety issues with them like there were between herself and Aang. And third, Aang was worth waiting for, just like all the best things in life are.

"I have some great news!" Katara said happily. "Aang and I are going to get married!"

Katara expected at least some hearty congratulations, but all she got were eye-rolls and three people saying "It's about time."

Suki noticed the confused look on Katara's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, Katara, but we've known about it for days."

Toph raised her hand. "I've actually known about it for months."

"Really?" Katara questioned. She couldn't help but thing that if they hadn't all ready promised to wait until their wedding night to have sex, she would have put Aang in the doghouse for telling everyone about his imminent proposal.

"Yeah, he needed help trying to Metalbend those betrothal amulet things." Toph said.

"And we actually knew about it since the Earth Kingdom…" Suki trailed off, embarrassed. "Oh…"

Sokka stepped forward. "Katara, can I speak with you in private, brother-to-sister?"

Suki and Toph got the message and left the two siblings alone to head for breakfast, which was always made by Aang when they were at the Air Temple. Given the right tools, Aang had proved himself an amazing cook, but he brushed it off, saying that all Airbenders were great at baking. No one could make a pastry fluffier than an Airbender. Even Sokka admitted that he enjoyed Aang's fruitcakes, but only when Aang didn't use his head as fruitcake target practice.

Sokka stared at Katara seriously, and no one spoke for several seconds when Katara broke the silence. "Are you going to tell me I can't marry Aang?"

"No." Sokka said. "You were very supportive of my decision when I married Suki. As long as you love Aang, I'll give you my full support."

Katara smiled. "Thanks, Sokka."

"But there is something I need to talk to you about." Sokka said. "Did Aang talk to you about what the Earth Kingdom messengers said?"

Katara frowned and nodded. "That they want him to impregnate as many women as possible to rebuild the Air Nomad Nation."

"Oh, good. I was worried that he wouldn't talk with you about that." Sokka paused. "So, what has Aang decided?"

"He's leaving the decision to me completely." Katara said hesitantly.

"Then what have you decided?" Sokka pressed.

"I don't know." Katara said. "In an ideal world, I would refuse the plan, and then Aang and I could rebuild the Air Nomads on our own. But, even if I spent the rest of my child-bearing years pregnant, we still might not have enough children to save a nation since only a fraction of our children would be Airbenders. Aang didn't know his parents, so we have no way of knowing whether or not both of his parents were Airbenders. But I do know that I've got a non-Bending recessive gene from my father."

"Uh…" Sokka began; she might as well have been speaking in tongues.

"So, the only chance our children have of being Airbenders is if I give them a non-Bending gene. And if Aang has a non-Bending parent, that lowers our chances even more. If that were true, out of four hypothetical children, one would be an Airbender, one would be a Waterbender, and two would be non-Benders."

"Uh, sis?" Sokka asked, confused.

"Ba Sing Se University library." Katara explained. "The Earthbenders have been studying how Bending is passed on from one generation to the next for years. I just… don't know if I could do it all myself. And I don't know if I could tell Aang that I'm more important than his entire culture."

"Sis…"

"But, if both of Aang's parents gave him his Airbending abilities, and he has children with a non-Bender, every single child born will be an Airbender." Katara said. "Aang's culture will be saved, and Aang's all ready promised me that he'll love only me."

"Katara, I just want you to be happy." Sokka said. "If you think you can be happy going through with this plan, I'll always be there to support you."

Katara sighed. "I've decided."

"What have you decided?"

"I can't be the mother of a Nation alone." She said. Nothing else needed to be said.

Sokka pulled his little sister into a tight embrace. "I'll always be around to help you."

Katara embraced her older brother hard, crying softly on his shoulder. "Thank you, Sokka." She said after a few moments, wiping at her tears.

Katara pulled out of her brother's embraced, and Sokka noticed that Aang was standing at the edge of the pavilion. He was hanging back, obviously not wanting to interrupt the brother-sister moment.

Sokka moved over to the young Avatar. They stared at each other for a second, Aang a little apprehensively. Then Sokka extended his hand. Aang smiled at his gripped Sokka's arm at the elbow in a Water Tribe warrior's greeting.

"Take care of my sister, Aang, or you're gonna have me to answer to." Sokka said, a bit more seriously. The Water Tribe warrior released Aang and walked away.

Aang hesitated slightly before moving over to Katara, who was wiping the last of her tears away. "I'll do my best to please your brother." He promised.

"You're marrying me, not my brother." Katara counted.

"Sometimes, I feel like I'm marrying both of you." Aang confessed.

"Aang, I've made my decision, about what the messengers said." Katara said. "I've decided… you need to do whatever it takes to save your people."

Aang's smile faded. "Then… I suppose we should get married right away. We can go to the South Pole and be married in the tradition of your people. Then we can head for the Earth Kingdom to…"

"I know." Katara said. "Kiss me, Aang. And tell me you'll always love me."

Aang pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. "I'll love you forever, Katara."

Katara pulled away from him. "I guess this is it." She said.

We can be at the South Pole by the end of the week if we leave on Appa tonight." Aang said.

"All right." Katara said. "I'll go pack my things."

"And I'll go tell the others." Aang didn't have a lot to pack, having been raised as a humble monk.

He pulled her into one final kiss, and then they went their separate ways.

* * *

The trip to the South Pole was much quieter than normal, especially considering that they were going to witness a wedding, and the entire gang decided to come and witness the event. Even Toph, who normally avoided ice and snow at all costs, came to support her friends.

She started complaining as soon as they reached Water Tribe territory, but Aang was glad to have her there. Toph was level-headed and straight-forward in a way they were not. She would keep everyone from losing their minds as she had at Sokka and Suki's wedding.

Upon their arrival at the South Pole, Katara and Sokka stared with wonder at their old home. What was once a tiny village now closely resembled the Northern Water Tribe in its grandeur.

Aang, however, wasn't surprised. He had built many of the larger buildings himself last year, including the Palace, under Master Pakku's guidance.

Just like the year before, Aang landed Appa in the Palace's courtyard, and they were greeted by Master Pakku and Batto.

When Aang left last year, all the high-ranking positions had been filled, except for the Chief. He had purposefully chosen not to get involved with the politics of the Water Tribe choosing their leader. After all, it was something the Water Tribe had to do for themselves.

He bowed respectfully to Master Pakku and the newly-instated General Batto, who returned the gesture.

"Welcome back to the South Pole, Avatar Aang." Master Pakku said. "And welcome back Sokka and Katara. And to you, Toph Bei Fong of the Earth Kingdom and Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors. We were just about to send a message to the Southern Air Temple requesting your presence. Did you have a vision that led you here?" Master Pakku was well-aware that as the Avatar, Aang sometimes had visions about where he was needed the most.

"Not this time." Aang said. "I'm here on personal business. What do you need me for?"

"We have chosen a Chief to lead the Southern Water Tribe." Batto said. "We would have you impart the Avatar's Blessing on him before he assumes leadership."

Aang nodded. That sounded simple enough. And it wouldn't take very long. "Very well, lead the way." He turned around to make sure that someone had taken Toph's arm to guide her in her current state of blindness. Katara had done just that, so Aang followed Master Pakku and General Batto up to the Palace.

On the way, Aang wondered who they had chosen. The Water Tribe people were a good people. A hundred years ago, the Nation that the Air Nomads had been on the best terms with was the Water Tribe. Both elements were free and unable to be contained. And, although the Air Nomads typically eschewed involvement with the political agendas of other Nations, they maintained diplomatic contact with the Water Tribes. Aang knew that they'd pick a good Chief. But the only question was, who would it be?

Aang was now following the corridors of the Palace from memory, having built most of these hallways himself. He came upon the central Throne room. It was empty except for the Water Tribe man sitting in the place of honor at the head of the hall.

Sokka and Katara's jaws dropped. "Dad!?!"

Aang had also recognized him immediately as Hakoda of the Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara's father, and his own future father-in-law.

Hakoda stood up. "Sokka? Katara?" he moved down to them as his children rushed up to him, and embraced him. "I'm so happy to see you both. It's been so long."

"You choose Hakoda?" Aang asked Master Pakku. Usually, the leaders of each nation was a Bender. Hakoda was not.

"Yes, he is not a Bender." Master Pakku said, reading Aang's face. "But it was unanimous. Will you bless him?"

"It is not up to me alone." Aang said, moving closer to the reunited family. "Hello again." He said.

Hakoda looked over at Aang. "Hello again to you, also, Avatar Aang. I suppose you are here to give the Avatar's Blessing?"

"That wasn't my original reason for coming, but I am willing to put you through the trial."

"Then what was your original purpose?" Hakoda asked. Katara, in response, lowered the neckline of her parka to reveal Aang's engagement necklace.

Hakoda nodded in respect. "So, the Avatar himself wishes to become my son-in-law?"

"With all my heart." Aang said as if he hadn't said all this a year ago when he asked for her hand in marriage.

He patted Aang's shoulder. "I know you'll make me proud to call you my son."

"Are you ready for the trial?" Aang asked. Hakoda nodded, and lead Aang back to the Throne.

Even Katara was interested. This was the only Avatar duty that she had never seen Aang perform. He had done it several times before, and always described it as a trial. She knew the basics, though. If her father wanted to receive the Avatar's Blessing, he had to do more than convince Aang. He had to convince the Avatar Spirit within Aang that he'd be a good leader. Katara just wasn't sure how that was done.

Hakoda sat down and Aang knelt in front of him. "This is what I'm going to do." Aang explained frankly. "I'm going to use Soulbending to gaze into your soul."

Everyone in the room gasped. The one time they knew of Aang Soulbending was against the former Firelord. Of course, Hakoda didn't have any Bending powers for Aang to take away, but Aang could easily drive him into madness if he twisted his soul enough.

Aang noticed the reaction from the room. "Don't worry. I won't use any Bending. He'll come out of this trial just the same as going in. What I'm going to do is read your soul."

"So, you're going to read his mind, Avatar Aang?" Batto asked.

"No, I can't read minds. The soul and the mind are two different things. I won't see any of your thoughts or memories, so you will retain your privacy. Your soul will allow me to see the real you, your complete essence. Then I will judge you."

"And if I fail?" Hakoda asked.

"Then you won't receive my blessing." Aang said simply. "As long as you don't lash out at me with your soul, you'll be unharmed.

Aang reached out towards Hakoda, pressing his hands against the older man's forehead and heart. Almost immediately, he entered the Avatar State, his eyes and tattoos glowing with the intense power of all his past lives combined.

Several tense moments passed, and then Aang spoke in the layered voice that he used in the Avatar State. His own voice was dominate, but it was backed up by the voices of every Avatar that came before him.

"The Water Tribe has chosen well." Aang said, his voice echoing powerfully off the walls. "I see the strong soul of a Warrior, and the compassionate soul of a father. Your rule will be long and peaceful. You have my blessing." The glow of the Avatar State faded, and Aang backed away.

Back when he was twelve, going into the Avatar State was a terrible drain on him. He would always come out of it weak-kneed and faint. But since he had mastered the power, it didn't drain his energy nearly as much.

He was up on his feet instantly, with a smile on his face. "Congratulations, Hakoda."

The rest came up to congratulate the new Southern Water Tribe Chief, but Katara headed straight for Aang. "I didn't know you could use Soulbending like that."

Aang shrugged. "Soulbending is just like any other type of Bending. It can be used for good or evil. Sure, it gives me the power to take away someone's Bending abilities and even destroy someone's mind. But I can also use it to read souls and unbend a twisted soul. But I've only done that once."

"Who?"

"Azula." Aang said. "Zuko, I suppose, hated to see his sister raving. So he asked me to help her. It took me hours to undo the damage to her soul. And even I couldn't fix it all."

Katara nodded in understanding. She had not seen Zuko's sadist sister since Sozin's Comet, but she had heard rumors that the Firelord's sister was much better behaved in her prison cell in the last few years.

"There was so much wrong with her soul." Aang commented. "Even Firelord Ozai's soul wasn't twisted up as badly as hers."

"Aang." Chief Hakoda called. "Thank you for giving me your Avatar's Blessing."

"You are the one who earned it." Aang said.

"Well, I suppose tonight will be a feast! To celebrate both my becoming Chief and my only daughter's engagement to Avatar Aang." Hakoda said loudly, and Batto instantly jumped into action, going to tell the chefs to prepare a feast.

"Hey! How come I didn't get a feast when Suki and I became engaged?" Sokka demanded.

"Because Dad wasn't the chief then." Katara answered. "And because I'm marrying a man who happens to be the all-powerful Avatar."

"Yeah, Sokka. Don't you know Avatar out-ranks 'boomerang guy' by about a mile?" Toph asked with a giggle. Sokka pouted.

"Aang? Katara? Can I speak with you in privacy for a moment?" Hakoda asked. The pair nodded and followed Hakoda down one of the side halls leading off the Throne Room. Then he turned to face the two. "I've heard about the Earth King's plan." It was all he needed to say.

Katara stepped forward. "Aang told me about the Earth King's plan before he proposed. And he gave me an even greater gift, he gave me the power to accept, or reject, the plan as his wife."

"And what have you chosen?" Hakoda asked.

"It's Aang's duty as the Avatar to restore balance to the world. If the Air Nomads aren't saved, the Avatar will cease to exist, and the world could plummet into chaos."

Hakoda sighed. "I won't pretend that I know a lot about the Avatar. How could going through with this plan be nothing more than a duty?"

Aang took the initiative this time. "An Avatar, like me, is more than just a master of the four elements. What I really am is the mortal frame that carries the Spirit and will of the planet. It is my duty to maintain balance and order in nature and between the four nations. In order for there to be balance in the world, the four nations must be in balance. But, for a century, the Air Nomads have been nearly extinct. I am the last Airbender. It is my duty to restore the balance of the four nations by rebuilding the Air Nomads." Aang sighed. "Many times before I have been at war within myself, torn between an Avatar's duty and my own… Earthly attachments." Aang thought about Guru Pathik, who once told him that in order to master the Avatar State, he would need to let go of Earthly attachments. Aang hadn't understood his meaning at the time and rejected it, but a long conversation with Roku and the other past Avatars revealed the truth to him.

Earthly attachments, like the ones that connected him to Katara, were not necessarily a bad thing. But those connections could be poisonous and block his seventh chakra, which it had.

Looking back, he had used his love for Katara as an excuse to not fulfill his duties as the Avatar. Most notably when he swore to never Firebend again. As the Avatar, it was his duty to master the four elements, but his relationship with Katara had poisoned him.

Then there was the time he ran away from Guru Pathik to save Katara, leaving his training incomplete. His duty had been to master the Avatar State, but once again, his love became an excuse that poisoned his training.

It wasn't a bad thing that he loved Katara. But it had become a bad thing when he let his feelings interfere with his duty.

Now he was facing that fundamental choice again. Duty or Katara. In the end, he knew that to remain in control of the Avatar State, he must choose duty. Or let Katara choose duty for him.

Hakoda and Katara noticed that Aang's mind seemed to have gone off on a tangent. So Katara resumed speaking. "Aang will fulfill his duty. He will sleep with other women. But, in the end, I'll be his wife."

"And… are you okay with this?" Hakoda asked his daughter. "Of course it is a personal choice between the two of you, but you can understand that I just want you to be happy."

"Dad, I am happy." Katara said. "I've been in love with him since I was fourteen. It's going to take a lot more than his duty to break us apart."

Hakoda nodded. "Very well. I trust your judgment." The Water Tribe Chief embraced his daughter warmly. "So, Aang…" Hakoda began, pulling the young Avatar out of his thoughts. "Tonight's feast is just as much for you and Katara as it is for me. Are there any special Water Tribe dishes you'd want?"

Aang shook his head. "Anything without meat will be fine."

"And Sea Prunes." Katara jumped in. "He doesn't like Sea Prunes."

"Hmm… that doesn't leave much choice. At the Poles, game is the only readily available rood, and a staple of the Water Tribe diet. I guess things were very different at the Air Temples. I'm sure we'll dig something up."

"Anything will be fine." Aang said, bowing.

Chief Hakoda bowed back. "So, Aang, why don't you show Katara around and show her the improvements you and the other Waterbenders made?"

Aang nodded. "Very well." He took Katara's hand and led her away.

"Remember, don't take too long." Hakoda called after them. "The feast tonight!"

Aang and Katara called back their acknowledgements of his words. And then ran off without a second look.

Hakoda sighed. The joys of being young and in love.

* * *

The tour of the Southern Water Tribe was much more leisurely than the one would expect a tour to be. Firstly, they were much more interested in each other than the scenery. Secondly, they were almost constantly surrounded by a crowd of admirers who either wanted to look at the Avatar, talk to him, or simply just touch him.

At first, Katara had been jealous of all the attention he received from complete strangers, but she got over it. As the Avatar, he needed to be there for the people. Aang always said that he valued the opinion of the lowliest peasant as much as the wealthiest King. Sure, during the hundreds of political and diplomatic meetings he attended, the debate was among the elite. But Aang felt that his job as the Avatar was to represent the interests of the common people.

Therefore, he listened to them all.

The calls ranged from the juvenile (to show off his Bending powers) to calls for a blessing on a birth, wedding, or a prosperous year.

But what really touched Katara's heart was Aang's interaction with the children. Aang had been forced to grow up much quicker than other children, which left the spirit of childhood in his heart. He played with them without reservation and gave them small, safe demonstrations of his Bending.

Katara was reminded once again that Aang deserved his own children. Not all those children would be hers, according to the Earth King's plan, but he deserved more children than she alone could give him. She smiled to herself. She would have to make Aang a father as soon as possible.

After a few blessings and some small Airbending tricks, the crowd dispersed. Katara moved closer to him and Aang smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. This happens every time we go out."

"I came to terms with you being the Avatar a long time ago." Katara said, kissing him. "These people need you as much as I do."

"Are you sure about that?" Aang asked rhetorically as he kissed her again.

Some people stopped and stared at the couple's open displays of affection. They had not seen the Avatar or Katara act quite so smitten before. This was really the first time they had come to the South Pole together. So it was a shock for people to see that the Avatar didn't come off as an all-powerful spiritual being among mortals, but that he was actually quite normal, Avatar powers aside.

They walked the streets together, with Aang occasionally pointing out the work he had seen to personally.

They came to some sort of plaza, and Katara gasped in wonder. The center of the plaza was dominated by an enormous crystal-like ice fountain. It had an intricate design of hollow basins, waterfalls, and slides moving over ice that had been permanently frozen like crystal.

"Oh wow! It's beautiful!" Katara gasped. "Who made that? Master Pakku?"

"Actually… I am the one who made it." Aang confessed.

Katara was deeply impressed, as both his fiancé and his Waterbending Master.

"It's absolutely beautiful, Aang." Katara said.

"It was just an experiment." Aang said. "But Master Pakku liked it so much that he permanently froze it. They _say_ I blessed the water flowing off it, and that it is the purest in the world."

"Well, did you?" Katara asked.

Aang shrugged. "You know how these legends pop up around the Avatar. As far as they are concerned, anything I touch is blessed."

"Well, then, how blessed am I?" Katara asked, smirking.

"Very." Aang whispered, kissing her gently.

"I think I like this kind of blessing." Katara whispered and Aang laughed, deepening the kiss.

* * *


	5. The Feast

**Chapter V: The Feast**

Eventually, Sokka came to find them. "Hey, you two." He said, walking up to them on the street. "The feast is going to start really soon. Dad says to get back to the Palace."

The couple stood up from their place on the ground. They had found a semi-private street, and had been kissing passionately for some time. "Okay." Katara sighed, a little disappointed. She could never seem to get enough of Aang's kisses.

Together, the three of them walked back to the Palace. They were lead right away to the banquet hall. Upon their entrance, the room erupted into applause.

The servant leading them directed the threesome to the seats at the head of the hall with Hakoda. Hakoda was in the middle of the table, and to his right were three empty seats, with Suki seated four seats away.

Sokka sat down next to his wife without complaint, but Aang and Katara remained standing, wondering which of the seats left was for them.

"Avatar Aang," the servant whispered. "Your seat is here." He gestured towards the place at Hakoda's immediate right.

Aang hesitated before sitting down. He had just been made the most important person in the room, aside from the Chief, and the center of attention. Katara quietly took the seat between Aang and her brother.

Once everyone was seated, Hakoda stood up. "Welcome, friends, and thank you for joining me on this happy occasion. As you might know, this afternoon, I received the Avatar's Blessing to become the new Chief of the Southern Water Tribe." Everyone clapped. "And, furthermore, we are here to celebrate a joyous event within my family. My only daughter, Katara, has accepted a betrothal necklace. Let us celebrate the upcoming union between my daughter and Avatar Aang!"

Surely the thunderous applause made it possible for Toph to see even in this icy structure. Apparently, the Avatar's engagement was a big deal. Probably because it only happened once a century at the most.

Aang and Katara blushed slightly as they accepted the applause.

"So, I suppose without further ado, let the feast begin!" Hakoda said, sitting down.

Servants began to serve large slabs of meat on everyone's plate, except for the Avatar. A servant had presented Aang with his own specially prepared vegetarian meal.

Aang was pleased to see that the Water Tribe Chefs managed to pull off his vegetarian meal perfectly. There wasn't a piece of meat or Sea Prunes anywhere on his plate. And it was all delicious; every bite reminded him of the sea.

One by one, the high ranking families stepped forward, first to congratulate Hakoda on being made the Chief, and then Aang and Katara on their engagement.

"So, Katara, when do you want the big day to be?" Hakoda asked.

"As soon as possible." Katara said. "We have to be at Ba Sing Se next week for the Spring Equinox meeting there."

"Very well. How does the end of the week sound? That will give you five days. That should be enough time to prepare for a wedding, and then get to Ba Sing Se just before the meeting."

"Perfect." Katara said happily.

Aang was glad that the Water Tribe was like the Air Nomads in that their wedding ceremonies didn't really take a whole lot of preparation, even a royal wedding. The only thing he remembered from Zuko's wedding years ago was the never-ending headache that he seemed to have for weeks because of all the procedure. In a Fire Nation wedding, every step was planned, even for the guests. With a Water Tribe ceremony, he would only have a week of headaches.

"Very well. We'll begin preparations tomorrow." Hakoda said.

The rest of the feast went very well. Everyone agreed that the food and company was enjoyable, especially with the festive attitude. Sokka took the time to tell everyone the story about how _he_ faced the Firelord himself at the end of the Century War. ("If I remember correctly, Aang was the one who faced the Firelord.")

Hakoda noticed that both Aang and Katara had finished their food. "Aang, Katara, you are excused. I'll have a servant show you to your room."

Aang chocked on the last of his water and nearly inhaled it. "Room?" He repeated.

"Yes, of course." Hakoda said, looking concerned. "Are you all right, Aang?"

Aang nodded desperately. They were going to be led to his and Katara's room. _Room!_ As in a single room, and probably a single bed too.

Despite their relationship, they had never even slept in the same bed. _Things really have changed in the last one hundred years._ Aang thought to himself. When Aang was growing up, it was the job of the bride's father to make sure that the groom didn't disgrace his bride before the wedding. And now here was Hakoda practically encouraging such activities!

Katara seemed to notice his plight, but did not help. "Thank you, Dad. I think we'll do that." Katara coaxed Aang to his feet, and they began to follow the servant away.

"Katara, are you sure we can… do this?" Aang asked a little nervously.

"Of course." Katara said. "You were raised by monks. I'm sure you have stronger will power than that."

"True." Aang commented. "But, lately, I've been finding it harder to follow some of the precepts set forth by the monks." Aang smirked. "Years of discipline and meditation swept aside by love. But you know, the Airbending Avatar before me said that many Air Nomads had detached themselves from the world and achieved spiritual enlightenment. But, as the Avatar, I can never achieve that because I am too deeply connected to the world. I have… accepted that."

"Then why do we still deny what burns in our hearts, Aang?" Katara asked.

"Because it's the only thing I have left." Aang said.

The servant left them at the door, probably pretending that he hadn't heard their conversation.

Katara stepped in first, with Aang following behind slowly. They both stared at the bed, which was just several layers of fur on the ground.

Aang recognized it as the room where he usually stayed upon his trips to the South Pole. He could tell by the fur bed. Water Tribe furs usually came from skinned animals. But the Air Nomad monks did not condone this practice. Air Nomads weaved their cloth from the massive amounts of fur shed yearly by the Sky Bison. Not a single animal suffered or died for the monk's comfort. These blankets had been made from Appa's fur, left by Aang last year. The servants must've set them out again, knowing the Avatar disliked their traditional blankets.

It went some way towards making him feel comfortable. But not all the way.

He jolted slightly when Katara wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek between his shoulder blades.

"If you feel uncomfortable doing this, than we won't." Katara said simply.

"It isn't about you. It's about me." Aang assured her. "You deserve more from me than lust-driven romp. You deserve more than I could ever give you, because I am the Avatar. I can't even promise you my body. But I can promise you this: our first time will be when I am finally yours, our wedding night."

Katara's grip on him seemed to grow tighter. "I understand."

She moved away from him and Aang released the breath that he hadn't realized that he had been holding.

She moved behind a changing screen that was set up in the corner of the room. Aang was glad that they, at least, had that sort of privacy. He could still see her shapely silhouette through the screen and his mouth went dry. He quickly averted his eyes and distracted himself by beginning to untie the complicated knots in his clothing. Once the robe and his shoes were off, he lost any desire to get undressed further. That would leave him clothed in his pants, which seemed good enough.

He made his way over to the window and settled down in his lotus meditative position. Katara stepped out from behind the changing screen and noticed his meditative position. "Are you going to visit the Spirit World?" Katara asked, adjusting her nightgown.

"Not this time." Aang replied with his eyes still closed. "Only if it pulls me there."

"Well, be careful. I don't want you to go into the Spirit World and miss our wedding."

Aang found that a weak excuse. "I've never stayed in Spirit World for more than a day." Aang said. Of course, time didn't really exist in the Spirit World. One day could seem like a minute long in one trip, and weeks the next. But Aang tried to never stay for long, if only to put Katara at ease.

He had told Katara about the Spirit World, about the deadly spirits that lived there, like Koh, and about the lack of Bending powers there. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake. Now she worried about him every time he went there.

Aang was probably at his most vulnerable while in the Spirit World. In the physical world, he was completely defenseless. Katara was vividly reminded of Aang's Spirit World journey at the North Pole, when Zuko kidnapped Aang while he was completely helpless. And since he couldn't use Bending in the Spirit World, if an evil spirit attacked him there, being the Avatar wouldn't matter. He'd just be a completely normal and unremarkable human, albeit one skilled in Martial Arts. But Martial Arts were about as useful against spirits as trying to hit smoke with a stick.

He was technically most vulnerable in the Avatar State. If he got killed in the Avatar State, the Avatar would cease to exist. But at least the Avatar State could fight back, and fight back extremely well. The Avatar State made his spirit most vulnerable; and a Spirit World journey made his body most vulnerable.

Katara couldn't help but worry every time he entered the Spirit World.

"I'll be safe, Katara." Aang promised. "Even if I do enter the Spirit World, I know how to get out of it at any time." He took a deep breath, and Katara could tell that he had entered a state of meditation.

Katara moved quietly over to the bed, being careful not to disturb his meditation. Her only consolation was that if he entered the Spirit World, she would know instantly. It was kind of hard to miss his tattoos starting to glow with divine light.

Katara sighed and settled down on the furs, knowing that Aang wouldn't join her until he was reasonably sure that he could control himself.

* * *

Several hours later, Katara was stirred from her sleep by the feeling of a warm body joining her under the furs. The sensation was so foreign that she was roused from her sleep.

"Who's there?" She whispered quietly, turning over to face the warmth.

"It's me." She recognized Aang as he lay down next to her. "Go back to sleep, Katara."

Katara realized that he must've meditated until she was asleep before joining her to reduce temptation. She turned to face him completely, gently touching his face. "Nothing's going to happen. Relax. We're not children anymore."

"Exactly. We're not." Aang said.

"We are going to be married in less than a week. We need to learn to be comfortable with this." She scooted closer to him until their bodies were pressed together, with her head resting against his chest.

Aang stiffened, but relaxed when her fingers began to trace the lines of his chest. "Katara…" Aang whispered, pressing his nose into her hair to inhale her scent.

"I've dreamed of being like this with you for a long time." Katara whispered, kissing his chest. "I love you."

Without a word of warning, Aang shifted their bodies until he was draped across her, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips.

As if they had a mind of their own, Katara's hands drifted. Her left hand cupped the back of his head to stop him from pulling away prematurely. Her other hand drifted down to his side.

Aang used his lips to open hers and pushed his tongue inside her mouth, coaxing her tongue to duel with his.

She answered eagerly, her fingers moving from his side to his back. Aang moaned against her mouth as her fingers slid against his skin. She loved that sound and longed to hear him make that noise again.

She bent her knee, rubbing her leg against Aang's thigh, lightly pressing her hips against his.

Aang moaned again, pressing his right hand against her thigh. His fingers travelled up until he cupped her clad cheek.

Katara broke their kiss to moan loudly at his bold contact. She nipped at his chin lightly and started to kiss his neck.

Aang sighed loudly, closing his eyes, and resolving to simply enjoy this pre-wedding gift.

He didn't notice or register that she was subtly rubbing her covered sex against his. But he definitely did notice when he started to get hard under her touch.

He pulled away swiftly, rolling away from her. "Aang?"

"That's… that's enough for tonight." Aang said, still trying to calm down his erratic breathing. Even Airbending couldn't help him with that.

Katara wanted to argue, but she remembered their conversation from earlier. "Okay, Aang. Good night."

"Good night, Katara." Aang whispered. He felt her snuggle up against his back and slowly fall asleep. Aang sighed, but it took him some time to join her in sleep.

* * *

**LES: Well, some more heavy petting for your enjoyment. I debated for a while whether or not to have Katara give Aang an HJ, but eventually decided against it. Oh, and by the way, if you are too young to know what an HJ is, you are probably too young to read this fic. It will have a Lemon in it, which is much more graphic than a limey HJ. Peace out!**


	6. The Wedding

**LES: Special thanks to the books "Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Lost Scrolls" for giving me the info I need to uncomplicate this fiction work. As you probably could guess by Katara's rant a little while back, I've been trying to work out the genetics of Bending. I've been agonizing over the identity of Aang's parents… whether or not they were Benders. That info could vastly change the possibilities of Aang's children later in the fic. Thank God the Lost Scrolls solved that mystery! No, they don't tell you who Aang's parents were, but they do say that, unlike the other nations, the Air Nomads didn't have any non-benders. Every Air Nomad was also an Airbender. Therefore, Aang's parents were both Airbenders! Hazzah! That means I can figure this thing out! Maybe I'll go into depth about my genetics theory later. **

**Chapter VI: The Wedding**

* * *

That late Winter morning dawned unusually bright and clear, the perfect day to celebrate an Avatar's wedding. However, not all was as peaceful as the weather.

Aang hadn't slept all night, and he looked almost as bad as he did six years ago when he went almost seventy-two hours without sleep. The only difference was he wasn't having hallucinations worthy of cactus juice. Of course, today felt like one big hallucination anyway.

It didn't help that Katara was absent from the room either. The Water Tribe had an old tradition that the bride and groom not see each other for a full twenty-four hours before the wedding, to ward off bad luck. But, having not seen Katara since yesterday morning was only serving to fry his nerves more.

His surroundings, as always, mimicked his moods. Near-by torches burned brighter as he passed, ice and water melted and turned to steam, and he was causing a miniature wind storm around his body.

Sokka walked into the room, staring at Aang. "Um… did you realize that you're floating?" He asked.

Aang looked down and realized that he was, indeed, floating several inches off the ground. He had Airbended himself right off the ground.

He also noticed that his tattoos were glowing slightly, a dim glow that was barely visible in the morning sun.

Aang closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Since mastering the Avatar State, it became rarer for him to slip into a stress-induced rage via the Avatar State, but it could still happen. The deep breathing excises calmed his spirit down. He stopped floating and his Airbender tattoos stopped glowing.

"Are you okay, Aang? You seem a little stressed?"

"Stress?" Aang began sarcastically. "What reason could I possibly have for being stressed? Today's just a normal day. It's not like I'm getting _married_ today!"

"Hmm… looks like we have a classic case of pre-wedding jitters." Sokka said. "You want me to go get Toph for a de-stessifying?"

Aang shook his head instantly. He had been 'de-stressified' by Toph before, and the process turned his body shades of bruising purple that he hadn't seen on his skin since his tattooing ceremony. He was in no hurry to repeat the experience, especially on his wedding day when he didn't have Katara to heal him.

"Fine. You want to talk about it?" Sokka asked.

Aang glanced at Sokka to make sure he hadn't broken out the old fake mustache and beard he used while pretending to be Aang's father and psychiatrist in the Fire Nation years ago.

"It's just…" Aang paused. He couldn't say enough how he _really_ didn't want to talk to Sokka about what was bothering him. "There's a lot of… expectations on a wedding night. I'm just worried that I won't… uh… 'measure up'."

"Oh!" Sokka began, and then he looked at Aang in shock. "Wait a second, are you telling me you're still a virgin?!?"

"I _was_ raised by monks." Aang said.

"I know, but geez… you and my sister have been sleeping in the same room since we got here! Just what have you two been doing all this time?"

"Just that… sleeping." Aang confessed.

Sokka sighed, rubbing his temples. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about this… Listen, Aang, no matter what those monks told you, your body all ready has all the instincts about sex that you'll need to know. What you need to do is stop thinking for five seconds and let your body do what feels right. There isn't a 'right way' to have sex. Just do what feels right, and you'll do fine."

"Thanks, Sokka. I know that this was hard for you." Aang said.

"No problem." Sokka said sarcastically. "I just love to give sex advice that I know is going to be used on my little sister tonight. Great."

"Well, I'm still thankful." Aang said.

"Just shut up, Mister Avatar." Sokka said. "And get dressed. If I let you miss your wedding, Katara will kill me. And the Suki would kill her and you'd kill Suki."

"Wouldn't that be a wedding day disaster?" Aang commented.

Sokka threw Aang's Avatar robes in his face. "I'm serious. Get dressed."

Aang quickly set to work untangling his robes. Katara had decided that the traditional Water Tribe wedding garments didn't look nearly as good on him as his Avatar robes, so that was what he was going to wear. Not that anyone minded. It was just another reminder to everyone that the Avatar was marrying into the Southern Water Tribe.

"Sokka, do you remember the day we met?" Aang asked suddenly as he pulled on his pants, tying the sash around his waist with practiced ease.

"Of course I remember that day." Sokka said. "My entire life changed that day."

"Well, I remember that day too." Aang said. "You hated me. You didn't believe a word I said. You called me a spy for the Fire Navy and banished me from the Southern Water Tribe."

"Oh yeah… I remember that." Sokka said.

Aang put on his robes and tied it in place with a series of complicated knots. "Well, could you have imagined that I'd be here one day, about to marry into the tribe that once banished me?"

Sokka waved him off. "You take things too seriously. I didn't know you were the Avatar back then. Banishing an Avatar just isn't done. It would upset the whole 'balance of the world' thing." Sokka put an arm around Aang's shoulder. "Look, back then, you were an annoying kid. You did get on my nerves a lot. So, yes, I didn't like you all that much. But now, you're like the brother I never had."

Aang laughed. "You're only saying that because I grew out of my childishness."

"Not true! You still act like a child sometimes." Sokka laughed and Aang joined in.

* * *

On the other side of the Palace, Katara screamed in shock. She had woken up early, and simply lay in bed for a while, soaking in her joy that today was her wedding day. She almost couldn't believe that in a few short hours, she was going to be marrying the same boy she found trapped in an iceberg six years ago, the Avatar. Back then, she mostly viewed him as a child, but over the course of the next year, she grew to love him. A love that was still strong six years later.

She finally managed to convince herself that she needed to get up and get ready. She got up and moved over to the mirror, gazed at her reflection, and then screamed.

An instant later, Suki and Toph rushed into the room. They had been on their way to help Katara when they heard her scream. "Katara, what's wrong?" Suki asked breathlessly.

"I have a pimple!" Katara sounded horrified.

Suki and Toph instantly burst out laughing. "Well, should I go tell Twinkletoes that the wedding is off because you have a pimple?" Toph asked sarcastically.

"This just isn't any pimple!" Katara turned to face Suki. "It's monstrous! And it's right in the _middle_ of my _forehead_!"

Suki could indeed see the inflamed skin from across the room. "Calm down, Katara. It's not that big of a deal. Everyone gets pimples on their wedding day. It's like a big cosmic practical joke. I had a huge one on my nose when I married Sokka, remember?"

Katara did remember. Suki had woken up with a pimple so large that it seemed to have a life of its own. She had to cake on her make-up almost as thick as her Kyoshi Warrior face paint to hide it.

"And, you know what, Sokka didn't care. He thought it was funny. And Aang won't care either."

"You're… right." Katara admitted. "I've waited too long for this day to let it be ruined by a pimple."

"And if that is all that goes wrong today, you should count yourself lucky." Suki said. "Here, let me help you cover that up." She moved over to Katara, organizing the make-up she brought with her.

"So… you nervous?" Toph asked. "I heard that Twinkletoes is beside himself."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. The usual stuff that happens when he's nervous." Suki said. "Torches exploding, turning any water in the vicinity into steam, and causing miniature tornadoes everywhere he goes."

"At least there's no Earth here for him to cause earthquakes." Toph commented.

Katara sighed. "I'm… a little nervous. But I'm mostly excited!"

"Perfect." Suki said, as she began to expertly apply the make-up to Katara's face, paying special attention to her forehead. "It's normal to be a little nervous when you're getting married."

"Well… I'm not as nervous about the wedding as I am of… after." Katara confessed.

"Oh, wait! Does that mean you and Aang haven't done… _that_?" Suki asked.

"Spirits, Suki, you're married and you can't even say the word 'sex'." Toph commented.

"Uh… yeah… sex." Suki confirmed. "So, you two haven't…?"

"We've done stuff." Katara said. "But we haven't, you know, taken the final step."

"Had sex! Had sex!" Toph interrupted. "What is it with you two and euphemisms?"

Katara glared at Toph, who couldn't see it. "Fine. Aang and I haven't had _sex_! He wanted to wait until after we were married."

"I always pegged Aang as a softie." Toph said.

"It's not that. It's about this whole 'rebuild the Air Nomad nation' plan. He said that he can't even promise me his body, so he promised me that our first time would be when we were man and wife. It's really important to him."

"Well… I suppose that makes a little sense… a little." Toph said.

"I'm okay with waiting, really." Katara said. "But I hope that I don't disappoint him."

"Look. Aang has been in love with you since he was twelve. There's no way he's lost his virginity." Toph said. "Like he could really tell bad sex from good sex, anyway."

"No man can tell bad sex from good sex." Suki laughed.

The girls had a good laugh over that.

* * *

The wedding would be surprisingly small, considering the groom was the Avatar. Only their family, friends, and several high-ranking Water Tribe families would attend.

Aang felt bad about purposefully not inviting Zuko and some of his friends in the Earth Kingdom, but it was necessary. He was afraid that if word got to certain high-ranking officials about his wedding, someone would be sent to try and stop it.

If that happened, he probably would enter the Avatar State in a rage, which hadn't happened to him in years. Aang would make the announcement at the Spring Equinox diplomatic meeting in the Earth Kingdome next week. By then, it would be far too late for anyone to object his choice in wife.

Aang was nervously adjusting and readjusting his clothes while Chief Hakoda and Sokka checked on the final preparations, while he mentally recited all the procedures that went with a Water Tribe wedding.

He thought he had gotten out of his nervous fidgety stage once he passed puberty, but all his nervous twitchiness was back with a vengeance.

After what seemed an eternity, Sokka came back into the small room. "Everything's set. Are you ready, Aang?"

Aang sighed deeply. "Yes."

Sokka led Aang into a hallway that led to the Water Tribe's Temple. The Temple wasn't a spiritual hotspot like the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole, but Aang didn't want to get married at a spiritual hotspot anyway. He had lingering fears from one of his past lives, Avatar Kuruk. Avatar Kuruk had fallen in love with a Water Tribe girl, and they were to be married at the Spirit Oasis. But, on the wedding day, a powerful spirit named Koh stole her into the Spirit World. As far as Aang knew, Avatar Kuruk spent the rest of his long days mourning her. Aang didn't want to live through the mistakes of his past lives. So they were getting married during the day when the Solstice was months away, when the physical world and the spiritual worlds were furthest apart.

Sokka entered the Temple's sanctuary first, and then motioned for Aang to enter. When he did, he made sure to keep his eyes firmly fixed ahead. It was especially difficult knowing that Katara had also entered the room a few feet to his right.

Hakoda had told him beforehand that it was very important that he not look to the side or, even worse, backwards during the ceremony. Looking ahead symbolized his ready and willingness to start a new life with his bride. Looking elsewhere symbolized an uncertain heart. He had heard many stories of weddings dissolved on the spot because of a careless glance.

So he fixed his eyes on the man ahead of him, Hakoda. He approached the Water Tribe Chieftain and bowed low, and spoke rehearsed lines.

"Chief Hakoda of the Water Tribe: I, Avatar Aang, wish to take your daughter as my wife. Will you accept me as her husband?"

Hakoda bowed back. "Avatar Aang, I accept you as my daughter's husband. Take her hand and be happy."

At this point in the ceremony, Katara would have asked a similar question of Aang's parents. But Aang's parents had been dead for a century, so the Water Tribe's Shaman who was overseeing the ceremony allowed that part to be skipped over. It was mostly a formality anyway. Betrothal necklaces were usually only given with the family's consent.

Only now that he had Hakoda's permission could Aang turn and face Katara, which he did.

Aang had never seen her look as beautiful as she did at that moment, wearing a richly detailed Water Tribe wedding dress, which was light blue and embroidered with images of the moon and sea. Sure, her make-up was caked on a little thicker than Aang would have liked, but that seemed a minor complaint compared to the goddess before him.

He smiled at her and she grinned back softly. They approached each other and clasped their hands between them.

The Shaman began to speak. "May the Great Spirits bare witness to this union of Avatar Aang of the Air Nomad nation and Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." The Shaman pulled from his robes three different colored ribbons. He selected the deep blue one and tied it around Aang and Katara's hands. "The Spirit of the Ocean, the Bringer of Life. May the love you share remain as deep and vast as the ocean itself." The Shaman tied the silver ribbon around their fists. "The Spirit of the Moon, the Bringer of Power. May your love glow as bright as the moon itself." The last ribbon was not a usual part of the Water Tribe wedding ceremony, but had been added for Aang's benefit. The third ribbon was white, and it too was tied around their hands. "The Spirit of Air, the Bringer of Change and Freedom. May your love be as ceaseless and boundless as the wind itself." The Shaman paused, as if waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. "The Great Spirits of the Ocean, Moon, and Air have borne witness to this union. Are there any here who think these two should not be joined by the bounds of marriage?"

The Shaman paused longer, and Aang resisted the urge to look at the audience. Several long seconds passed, but no one spoke up.

"The union between Avatar Aang and Princess Katara has been approved by their families, their peers, and the Spirits." The Shaman said. "I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

And, just like that, Aang and Katara were married.

Aang couldn't resist any longer. Now that the strict structure of the Water Tribe wedding ceremony was over, he kissed her.

The Temple filled with applause and wolf-whistles as the oblivious coupe kissed each other passionately.

They pulled apart slowly, giving each other a second, smaller kiss. And then they turned and faced the crowd and their applause.

Katara almost started laughing out loud when she saw that her brother was teary-eyed in the front row. Aang saw it too and he actually started giggling. They walked down into the crowd together and were instantly ambushed by a small army of well-wishers. Sokka managed to fight his way through the crowd to get to his sister; he embraced her and told her how happy he was for her.

Toph punched her way through the crowd towards Aang. "Hey, congrats, Twinkletoes!"

"Thanks, Toph." Aang said, quickly getting his shoulder out of Toph's line of fire. She tended to show affection with a rather strong punch to the shoulder that could easily knock him down because of the slight build of his Airbender body.

"So, where's the food?" Toph asked brightly.

Everyone laughed.

* * *

The food was in the banquet hall, which was filled with a lot more people than had been attendance at the ceremony. And there was more food and more frivolity. Weddings always put everyone in a festive mood, and the Water Tribe was no exception.

It made Aang's heart ache a little, since it brought back memories of his people. In the Air Nomad nation, weddings were a big deal. The festivities following a wedding in the Air Nomad nation sometimes lasted days… even weeks.

The last time they were in the banquet hall, they sat just to the side of the Chief, but today, Aang and Katara were at the head of the hall together. Everyone else in the hall was seated so they had a respectable distance between themselves and their neighbors. But to show that they were the newlyweds, their seats were so close together that their thighs were touching.

Katara shyly leaned into Aang's chest. "Today was absolutely perfect, wasn't it, my husband?"

Aang's painful memories of his lost people faded away as Katara leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "It certainly was, my wife." He replied.

"Aang, do you remember Aunt Woo's village?" Katara asked suddenly.

"The one we saved from the volcano?" Aang clarified.

Katara laughed. "You were the one who did the saving. But, yes, that's the one. I never told you what Aunt Woo said to me during my reading. She predicted that I would marry…"

"A very powerful Bender." Aang finished automatically. How he kept those words in his heart when he was a boy! Katara glared at him, and Aang laughed a little. "Yes, I did eavesdrop." He confessed. "But I _did_ sort of have an interest in knowing the future of your love life."

Katara laughed. "Yes, I suppose you did. She told me that I would marry a powerful Bender. But, at first, I didn't connect it to you. I still saw you as a child. But then when you stopped that volcano single-handedly, Sokka mentioned what a powerful Bender you were. That's when I seriously considered that you were the Bender Aunt Woo predicted I would marry. Well, her prediction came true. Not only did I marry a powerful Bender. I married the most powerful Bender in the world." She paused, apparently lost in memories. "Wait a minute… didn't you tell me that I would find out what she told you about?"

"It's a funny story." Aang said. "At first, she only told me that I would be involved in a great battle that would determine the fate of the world. But then I told her I wanted to know about my love life. She told me if I followed my heart, I would be with the one I love."

"Well, that did come true."

"There was no love in my fortune, Katara. Aunt Woo made that up to make me feel better." Aang said. "But she also said that, like we reshaped the clouds, I had the ability to reshape my destiny. So I did."

"Yes, you did." Katara kissed him. They watched some of the couples dancing stiffly while they ate some of the food that had been set before them. After a few minutes, Katara spoke again. "Hey, Aang, why don't you go show these old stiffs how an Airbender dances?"

The Air Nomads really had been the perfect dancers. The fleet-footedness, agility, and grace that learning Airbending gave them translated perfectly into dance. Aang had proven that years ago at the Fire Nation dance party. He had those goofy-kid dances, but he could also hold his own in any ballroom on the planet.

Aang smiled at her. "Only if you'll come with me."

Katara smiled and stood with him. They were the center of attention again, everyone in the hall waited to see what they were going to do. The realization came when they stopped in the middle of the dance floor, getting in classic waltz position.

As they began dancing, Katara got the strongest sense of déjà-vu. Everyone in the hall was staring at them as she danced in Aang's arms. She smiled at her new husband. "Everyone's staring."

Aang smiled back at her. "Don't worry about them." He replied. "It's just you and me right now."

"You and me." Katara repeated, resting her head against Aang's chest for a moment. And then she pulled away and their dance really began.

It was very similar to their dance in the Fire Nation except with less acrobatics. It still left those in the hall speechless; especially at Aang, who could execute even the most difficult moves flawlessly. Watching him flawlessly turn Martial Arts into a beautiful dance was exhilarating.

He really proved to them that Airbenders were still the best dancers in the world.

* * *

The rest of the reception went off without a hitch, unless you count Sokka getting drunk and telling everyone in a loud voice every embarrassing story that Aang wanted to take to the grave: like his foray into cross-dressing and the numerous stalkers he picked up on his travels.

But, other than that, things went perfectly.

Towards the end, Aang and Katara got antsy, so Katara stood to address the crowd. "Thank you all for joining us to celebrate this joyous day. We want you to continue to enjoy this good food and good company. Aang and I are going…"

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow!" Someone cat-called. A glance confirmed who. Of course it was Toph. Everyone laughed while the newlyweds blushed.

"Well, anyway…" Katara began again, blushing. "Aang and I will be going now. Please enjoy yourselves."

They managed to almost get to the door before they were accosted by Sokka, Suki, and Toph. "Hey, where is your room, anyway?" Suki asked urgently.

Aang stared at her, confused. "On the other side of the palace. Why?"

"Because virgins never know how to keep quiet." Sokka said drunkenly. "But since you two are on the other side of the palace, we won't have to listen to you… hopefully."

"Listen, you guys…" Aang said quickly to get over his embarrassment. "Don't get too hung-over. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Where're we going?" Sokka asked.

"Ba Sing Se." Aang said patiently. "The Spring Equinox meeting is coming soon. We'll have to fly fast to get there on time."

"Gotcha, Captain Arrowhead." Sokka said drunkenly.

Aang sighed heavily as he followed Katara out of the room.

* * *

**LES: Sorry about the crappy dance scene. Most of the characters I write for, I can get away with them not knowing how to dance. So I can get away with the whole 'swaying on the spot' thing. But Aang can dance. I can't dance, and I can't fake that I know how to dance. Let me put it this way, if I attended the Fire Nation dance, I would be doing the Sprinkler like that one fat kid. So, yeah, no awesome dance scenes from me.**


	7. The Wedding Night

**LES:This chapter contains the first removed Lemon of the story. The link to the Lemon will be in the place of where the Lemon used to be. Warning, there is explicit sexual content by following the link!**

**Chapter VII: The Wedding Night**

* * *

Aang and Katara were unusually nervous and quiet as they made their way to their room. Perhaps it was because their wedding high had faded, leaving only wedding night jitters. It was doubly nerve-wracking because they were both virgins.

Of course, they had nearly made love a few times, but this time seemed more nerve-wracking. This wasn't some unplanned, lustful, spur-of-the-moment type of thing. They _knew_ it was going to happen tonight. And all of their insecurities returned.

Both were afraid that they wouldn't satisfy the other.

Katara wrapped her arm around Aang's arm and he looked down at her. "Are you nervous?" She asked.

"A little." Aang confessed. "Actually… a lot."

"Me too." Katara confessed. "But I love you, Aang. I've waited a long time to be your wife. And I want nothing more than to make love with you."

"The monks… they never taught us about such things." Aang confessed. "But I will do my best to please you."

Katara embraced Aang outside their room. "Just being with you is enough to please me." She kissed him and pushed him backwards through the door.

"I love you." Aang whispered against her mouth, nibbling at her bottom lip gently.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25246288959 / dvl - chapter - 7 - lemon

(Remove Spaces for the Link)

* * *

Neither one spoke as they tried to regain their breath. Aang seemed to catch his breath first, but she suspected that he used Airbending to cheat.

"An Airbender." Aang whispered, his chest still heaving slightly.

This struck Katara as some strange pillow talk, especially after they just finished having sex. "An Airbender what?"

Aang rolled off her and curled up next to her, pulling her against his chest. "I had a small glimpse of the future."

"When you entered the Avatar State?"

Aang nodded. His hand drifted down to her stomach. "We conceived a child tonight." Katara gasped, her hands joining his on her stomach. "The child will be born in the Fall, the Season of Air. The child we made tonight will be an Airbender."

Katara embraced Aang. "That is such wonderful news!"

However, she realized that Aang had fallen asleep just after giving her his prophesy. She laughed quietly and cuddled into his warm body. _Oh well. The awkward after-sex conversation can always wait until morning._ She, too, fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

**LES: I've fully figured out this whole Bending thing, using a mixture of science and the pull of the four seasons on the four elements. Let's say Child A has both an Airbending and Waterbending gene. In those cases, I'll let the season of the child's birth determine bending. So if Child A is born in the Fall, Season of Air, it will be an Airbender. Season of Water (Winter) = Waterbender. Season of Earth (Spring)/ Season of Fire (Summer) = Non-bender. Yea!**


	8. Travel to Ba Sing Se

**LES: Well, the big Lemon is over, though I can't promise that it will be the last. LOL! I'm so bad! What can I say? It's so easy being evil!**

**Chapter IIX: Travel to Ba Sing Se**

* * *

The next morning, Katara woke up rather leisurely. The first thing she noticed was that she was naked, which was unusual for someone who grew up at the South Pole. Sleeping naked at the North or South Poles could literally be deadly.

The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't bothered by the cold air at all, due to the warm body pressed against her back.

Katara gasped as her memories of the previous day came back to her in a flood. Yesterday had been her wedding day. She and Aang were married now! And last night… she had made love with Aang for the first time.

Her movements proved it to her. She started to turn to face Aang, but she could feel the lingering soreness between her legs.

Katara winched. It seemed that now that she wasn't intoxicated by passion, her aches had returned. She gritted her teeth slightly and turned to face her new husband.

He was still asleep, which surprised her. The night before, he had fallen asleep almost immediately after their lovemaking, only staying awake long enough to predict that they had conceived an Airbending child last night.

Katara's hands drifted down to her lower abdomen. Of course, there was no way to be sure at the moment since she wouldn't show signs for several weeks. But Aang's Avatar State prophecies had never been wrong before.

Instead, she focused on the man before her. Despite the pain and aches she had endured to make love with him, she seemed to love him all the more.

She reached up and gently traced the line of his jaw, drawing a soft sigh from him. She gently scooted closer and kissed his chin.

Aang stirred, slowly at first, stretching the fatigue out of his muscles. "I could get used to waking up like this." He whispered, smiling.

"You'd better, because we have the whole rest of our lives ahead of us." Katara kissed him again, this time on the lips.

Aang rolled to face her, gently returning the pressure of her kiss. "Katara, last night was… great… amazing!"

"So, you don't regret giving up your life as a monk?" Katara asked.

"Not being a monk has its perks." He replied, kissing her again, but with more passion.

She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body fully against his. "Aang…" She whispered against his mouth. "Don't we need to leave for Ba Sing Se today?"

Aang groaned with disappointment and pulled away from her with a sigh. "You're right. Sometimes I wonder what they did the hundred years that I was gone, because they can't seem to do anything without me."

He got up off the furs, fully displayed for his wife. He turned his back and began to gather his fallen clothes from the ground.

Katara noticed that the tattoo that went down his back did not form a continuous line with the tattoos on his legs. His back tattoo ended just below the small of his back, and his leg tattoos began just below his buttocks.

"I've always wondered if your tattoo went all the way down your body." Katara mused.

Aang looked back at her. "No, they don't. If they did, I wouldn't have been able to sit for weeks after getting them. So the monks just make it look like it could be continuous when they tattoo a new master."

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Katara said as she began to get out of bed. But she paused and winched in pain.

Aang was at her side instantly. "Katara? What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"It's nothing, Aang. I'm just a little sore." Katara said, smiling up at him. Her smile told him exactly why she was sore.

"At least let me help you." Aang said, pulling up his pants and swiftly tying his sash around his waist.

Once he was sure his pants weren't going to fall off, he began a second search, this time for Katara's clothes. And he helped her get dressed, albeit a little clumsily. Turns out her chest bindings were harder to get on than off. But he eventually managed it.

"Aang… do you remember last night… after we made love?" Katara asked.

"A little. I was so tired. I think I fell asleep on you." Aang said nervously.

"Do you remember predicting that we conceived a child last night?"

"An Airbender." Aang said. "I remember." He paused, gazing at Katara. "Maybe neither of us was expecting this to happen so soon, but I'm ready to be a father if you're ready to be a mother."

"I'm ready." Katara assured him. He picked out her travelling clothes from her wardrobe and helped her into her clothes. He also gathered her Earth Kingdom things and packed them.

Once she was dressed and packed, he finished his own dressing. Once he once again looked like a proper Air Nomad Avatar, he offered Katara his arm.

"Like a proper gentleman." Katara commented, accepted his proffered arm. "Where's my Aang who couldn't even pass off as a busboy?"

Aang laughed. "I would have pulled it off if a certain someone hadn't forced me to spill a whole pot of tea on a noblewoman."

Katara laughed as she leaned into him, making her slight limp less noticeable.

They exited the room together, exchanging knowing glances and kisses. Once they got out of their wing of the Palace, they began running into maids and servants. They all bowed respectfully, murmuring their congratulations to the Avatar and his lady.

They passed through the banquet hall, which was still full of very late party-goers. They all cheered upon Aang and Katara's entrance. They blushed slightly, but greeted the applause with smiles.

Aang spotted Sokka, in a most peculiar position. Instead of sitting on a chair like a normal person. He was sitting in it with his legs over the seat and his head nearly touching the ground, upside down.

"Hey, Aang-man. Karama…" Sokka slurred and butchered his sister's name. "What're you doin' on the ceiling?"

Katara wondered for a moment how Sokka had managed to get his hands on some cactus juice here in the South Pole. It was impossible, but he was making about as much sense as the last time he drank cactus juice.

Aang sighed and quickly Airbended Sokka so that he was sitting the right way up in the chair.

"Wait a second… why am I on the ceiling now?" Sokka asked, sounding even more amazed.

"Because it's upside down day." Katara said. She could never resist messing with Sokka when he was drunk.

"Oh… so that's what it is." Sokka said thoughtfully. "How come we never celebrated this holiday before?"

Suki walked up to Aang and Katara, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry about this. I tried to get him to stop, but he kept sneaking back. I've all ready got our stuff packed, though. And Toph is all ready to go and waiting next to Appa."

"Thanks, Suki." Aang said. "That's really helpful."

Suki noticed how much closer they looked physically. Before yesterday, they always maintained a respectful distance between themselves. Now Katara was practically attached to his arm, and judging by their stances, Aang was the one supporting her weight.

_Wow! He must've really made her sore!_ Suki thought with a little mental giggle.

"I'll get Sokka to Appa. You two go ahead." Suki said, smiling a little too brightly.

"Thanks." Aang said, leading Katara away toward the door.

However, standing in the doorway was Hakoda. He, too, noticed the difference between the two newlyweds, their new closeness.

"Katara…" Hakoda said invitingly, opening his arms. Katara smiled and embraced her father. "I am so proud of you, and I wish you all the luck in your new life."

"Thanks, Dad." Katara replied as he kissed her forehead.

"And, Aang, take care of my daughter." Hakoda smiled at his new son-in-law.

"I will." Aang promised.

"And I don't want to wait too long for grandchildren. I'm not getting any younger, you know."

Both Aang and Katara blushed. "I don't think you'll have to wait too long." Aang said softly. _Like about nine months from now._

"Oh. Very well." Hakoda said, a little confused. "Don't forget to visit me." He said to Katara.

"I won't. Thank you for everything." Katara said as Aang led her away.

* * *

Outside, Appa waited, looking well-fed and groomed as always. Toph was all ready in the saddle when she heard them approach the normal way. "Is that you, Twinkletoes?"

"Yes."

"Oh good! Are we leaving?" Toph asked. "All this ice and snow really bugs me."

"Yes, we're leaving." Katara said, bending the ice beneath her to get into Appa's saddle. "As soon as Suki gets Sokka away from the party."

"He ignored your warning and got drunk anyway?" Toph asked. "Great… and he gets airsick when he's drunk. What a _fun_ trip this is going to be." She said sarcastically. "Oh! And speaking of parties, how did your 'private' party go with Twinkletoes last night?"

Aang and Katara turned bright red and didn't answer.

Toph laughed. "Your silence and your heartbeats speak for themselves. And, Katara, I noticed you're limping when you got in the saddle. It was obviously quite good."

"Oh look! There's Sokka!" Aang said much too loudly. Sokka was nearly being dragged towards Appa, supported by Suki.

"Aang? A little help?" Suki asked.

"Sure." Aang repeated Katara's movement and bent the ice beneath Suki and Sokka, depositing them in the saddle.

Once they were settled, Aang walked around to Appa's face. "Hey, Appa, we need to go to Ba Sing Se."

Appa grunted once to show Aang that he understood. So Aang leapt into his place on Appa's head, took the reins, and called "Yip-yip!"

The massive Flying Bison took to the air naturally and began to fly to the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se.

* * *

Suki was really dying to question Katara all day. But even she knew better than to question Katara about her love life with Aang around Sokka, even when he was currently leaning over the side of Appa's saddle, groaning with drunken-air-sickness.

"You only have yourself to blame." Katara pointed out to her brother. "Aang did warn you."

Sokka glared angrily at Katara. "Hey, just because you're 'Mrs. Avatar' now doesn't mean you can tell me…" He trailed off, turning green and retching slightly.

Toph quickly kicked him so that he was hanging over the side of the saddle again as he emptied his stomach.

"Do us all a favor and don't blow chunks in the saddle." Toph said. "Flying is bad enough without you getting sick where we all have to sleep for the next week, right Aang?"

"Right, sleep." Aang responded like a zombie, like he was half asleep himself.

Suki noticed for the first time how tired he seemed. But she supposed staying up half the night, waking up early, and other things would make Aang very tired.

"Hey, Aang, why don't I take over?" Suki offered. "You seem tired, and politics are like a big battle. You need sleep going in."

"Thanks, Suki." Aang said, passing over the reins. He trusted Suki with Appa. If she could fly a half-destroyed Fire Nation Airship, then she was more than capable of flying a living Sky Bison who practically flew himself.

He jumped easily into the saddle and settled down next to his wife. Katara smiled and leaned into his chest as he dozed against her.

Suki smiled to herself. The Avatar and his Waterbending teacher… what a great couple!

* * *

In due time, they arrived in Ba Sing Se, just in time for the Spring Equinox meeting, which was the next day.

Appa set down in the courtyard of the Earth King's Palace.

"Well, here we are in Ba Sing Se." Toph commented. "This place is almost worse than the South Pole."

"It's not so bad anymore." Aang said, leaping down Appa's side and petting the massive Sky Bison. "At least since the Earth King regained control of city and the Dai Li were disbanded."

"Ba Sing Se still sucks." Toph said. "There are far too many rules." She Bended herself a platform off Appa's back.

Aang turned around in time to see their welcoming party come out of the Palace.

"Welcome back to Ba Sing Se, Avatar Aang." The man in front, probably one of the Earth King's ministers, bowed. "Your group is the last delegation to arrive. Did you have a safe trip from the Southern Air Temple?"

"Actually, we came from the South Pole. But, yes, we had a safe journey." Aang replied.

"I'm glad. Do you need servants to show you to your villa?"

"That won't be necessary, but thank you." Aang said.

The minister bowed once again. "Very well, Avatar. I will personally see that your Sky Bison is taken to the stables." He and the servants gave Appa an honor guard as they took the massive creature to the stables.

Katara took Aang's arm. "If we are the last to arrive, then Zuko must be here all ready. We should tell him about our announcement before the announcement."

"You're right." Aang agreed. "He's our friend, and deserves to hear about it from us."

"Don't worry about us. We'll find a way to… entertain ourselves." Toph said, grinning.

For Toph, that probably meant tormenting, scamming, or annoying the citizenry of Ba Sing Se; but for Sokka and Suki, that probably meant sex.

Aang sighed. "Don't get in trouble, Toph."

"Yes, _Dad_." Toph said sarcastically. "Don't forget, Twinkletoes, I'm just as old as you!"

"As you always remind me." Aang commented, beginning to walk down the street with Katara.

* * *

Zuko's villa wasn't that far from Aang's, and was just about as hard to miss. Whereas Aang's private villa looked more like a shrine than a house, Zuko's looked like a piece of the Fire Nation in the Earth Kingdom.

The Fire Nation guards standing outside the villa recognized Aang instantly and bowed him inside.

They didn't have to look very had before finding Zuko and Mai sitting together in the shade of a tree, talking quietly.

"Hello, Firelord Zuko." Aang called. He really only called him the Firelord to annoy him.

Zuko looked around. "Ah. So you've arrived, Avatar Aang." He said, standing up. "It certainly took you long enough. Did you get lost on the way here?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that before we make the announcement tomorrow." Aang began.

"We? Announcement?" Zuko repeated.

"Yes." Katara said. "Aang and I were at the South Pole. We got married!"

"Married? Well, congratulations." Mai said.

"And the reason we never received an invitation is…?" Zuko began leadingly.

"Because no one received invitations." Aang said. "With… well… with everything that's going on, Katara and I decided it would be better to have a quick and quiet marriage. Now the Earth Kingdom can't say anything to prevent our marriage."

"Oh." Zuko said knowingly. "Yes, that certainly makes sense." He paused. "Aang, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"  
"For the crimes of the Fire Nation against the Air Nomads." Zuko said. "If it weren't for my great-grandfather Sozin, the Air Nomads would still be alive and you wouldn't be in this difficult position."

"Zuko, don't blame yourself for the crimes of your forefathers. I don't." Aang said.

"Well, then you should." Zuko said. "Sozin started a terrible war and nearly destroyed your entire race. I assure you, if I could take this burden from you, I would."

"It's all right." Aang said. "I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, Avatar that has to do something distasteful for the good of the world."

"So… you are going to do it?" Mai asked.

"With Katara's blessing." Aang said. "Yes, I will do it." He paused. "Zuko, do you know anything about the women who were chosen for this?"

"I know about the women I've chosen for this task, but not the other nations. I did not approve a woman until she was a non-Bender with two parents who were non-Benders. They are all women of standing. They are also volunteers who are all ready married with children of their own."

"They're married?" Aang asked, shocked.

"Married women are less likely to develop an unwanted emotional connection to you, like a virgin would be prone to doing." Zuko said. "I thought you would appreciate that."

"Oh, yes, I suppose." Aang said. Women who were all ready married wouldn't allow themselves to confuse duty with love. "But what about their husbands?"

"All the women have their family's approval." Zuko said. "I suppose things would be different if you weren't the Avatar. But, as it is, all the women and their families consider being chosen an honor."

"Well, at least one side of this ordeal is happy." Aang muttered.

"I'm sure they'll go into greater detail about this plan at the meetings." Zuko said. "But, for now, would you like to accompany myself and Mai to my Uncle's Tea Shop? I haven't seen him in a year."

Aang had a great deal of respect for Iroh, both for his tea and his advice. It was a shame that he didn't get involved with politics anymore. "Sure, let's go."

Aang and Katara followed Zuko and Mai out of the villa and heading towards Iroh's Tea Shop in the Upper Ring.

* * *

Iroh's Jasmine Dragon tea shop looked exactly the same as it did six years ago after the end of the War, except there were a lot more customers at the tables.

Zuko instantly stepped forward, ignoring all the strange looks the customers sent him at having the Firelord himself in their presence. And then they noticed Aang and began whispering among themselves as to why the Firelord and the Avatar themselves were stepping into a tea shop.

"Uncle Iroh!" Zuko called.

Iroh looked up from his tea. "Oh, Zuko. It's good to see you after so long." Iroh stepped around the counter and embraced his nephew. "And the Avatar himself. I am honored."

Aang bowed respectfully to Iroh. "I am the one who is honored, Iroh, Dragon of the West."

"Well, I suppose you are here for some of my tea?"

"The best tea in the world." Aang said with a smile.

Iroh nodded and lead them to the private tables now set on the shop's balcony.

Aang leaned closer to Katara. "Do you remember this balcony?" He asked quietly.

Katara laughed. "Of course I remember. This is where we confessed our love for each other after the end of the War."

They were about to kiss when Zuko rather obnoxiously interrupted them. "Uncle Iroh, Avatar Aang and his Lady have some rather interesting news."

Aang glared at Zuko for a moment for ruining the moment. He 'may' have also waved his hand in such a way that sent a blast of wind at Zuko, knocking him into a potted plant; completely on accident, of course. While Zuko tried to untangle himself from the clawing bush, Aang turned his attention on Iroh. "Katara and I have gotten married."

"Congratulations!" Iroh said cheerfully, handing Aang and Katara their tea. "And I suppose I haven't heard a word about your engagement or marriage because you kept it quiet to avoid the Earth King interfering?"

"Well… exactly. How did you know?" Katara asked.

"Most of the advisors in the Earth King's court are also members of the White Lotus." Iroh said. "They keep me well informed about the goings-on in the Earth Kingdom court."

Aang had forgotten that Iroh was a high-ranking member of a secret society that wasn't so secret anymore.

While Aang had been fighting Firelord Ozai, the White Lotus had invaded Ba Sing Se, then controlled by the Fire Nation, to take back the City for the Earth Kingdom. They sort of lost their secret society status after that, but they still operated in the government all over the world.

Aang fully supported the efforts of the White Lotus since they embodied much of what he represented as the Avatar: unity between the four nations.

"I'm sure they do keep you informed." Aang said softly, taking a sip of his tea.

"You are troubled." Iroh pointed out. "I can assure you that the Earth Kingdom's council will respect both your marriage and your decision regarding the future of the Air Nomads, whatever it may be."

"The messengers I spoke to didn't seem so understanding of the love I feel." Aang said.

"The Earth King's messengers?" Iroh scoffed. "The Earth King understands little about love. His marriage was arranged when he was an infant, so he has little love for his wife. Between you and me, I believe he's in love with that bear of his." The assembly laughed. "The Council is different. They will understand."

"Thank you, Iroh." Aang said gratefully. There were two things Iroh did better than anyone else in the world: make tea, and give good advice. And he was thankful for both.

* * *

**LES: Yes, I know I'm not the first person to make a joke about the Earth King being in love with his bear, and I doubt I'll be the last. But, geez, even if he really isn't, he sure acts like he loves that thing. How many people actually throw a party for their pets?!?**


	9. Meeting on the Spring Equinox

**LES: If you happen to be wondering where Momo is… he found a hot lady lemur and settled down. See… Momo's kind of the useless animal mascot of the show, just there to be cute and fluffy for the children demographic. That equals useless for an adult like me. Appa's a much better mascot for the show since he actually does stuff. So, yeah, don't start looking for Momo. He's not here.**

**Another small lemon was removed from this chapter. Once again, follow the link if you want to read it.  
**

**Chapter IX: Meeting on the Spring Equinox**

* * *

The next day was the Spring Equinox, the first day of Spring and the first day of the yearly rise of the Earth Kingdom as the most powerful nation in the world, until the Summer Solstice when the Fire Nation became the most powerful.

So far, no one had questioned why Katara had slept in Aang's villa rather than her own. But they had left Iroh's Tea Shop late enough that no one saw them arrive. And none of the neighbors heard them as they made love again, which was a Blessing all on its own.

The second time was much quieter, but much more enthusiastic and contained more experimentation than the first time. Not to mention Aang managed to stay awake after his orgasm this time, holding her close and telling her how much he loved her.

The night before was deeply imprinted on her soul, since sex seemed to only get better.

Katara smiled softly at her husband's sleeping face as he slowly roused from sleep. "Hey." He whispered. "When is the meeting?"

"This afternoon." Katara answered. "We have the whole morning ahead of us."

"Good. I crave the taste of your flesh." He pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss against her collarbone, drawing a soft moan from Katara's lips.

She rolled over so that she was on top of him, straddling his waist as she pulled him into a demanding kiss.

Aang automatically propped himself up on the headboard so he had better access to her lips. His hands found her hips as he ground her against himself, tearing a ragged moan from both their throats.

Katara got the message and began to grind against him, causing him to make more of those interesting and sexy noises.

Katara kissed his forehead. "I love you, Aang."

"Love you too." Aang panted. "More, Katara. I want you."

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25247238349 / dvl - chapter - 9 - lemon

* * *

"I don't see why we have to get up this early." Sokka complained to his wife as they made their way down the spacious Upper Ring street.

"Well, you were too hung over to remember, but Katara said on the way here that she needed new clothes. And Ba Sing Se makes the best clothes in the Earth Kingdom." Suki said.

"So why am I here?" Both Sokka and Toph complained.

"Because, Toph, you need some new clothes too." Suki sighed. "And Sokka can hang out with Aang for some married male bonding."

Sokka scoffed. "Having Aang as a brother-in-law is nothing new. He was practically my little brother _before_ he married Katara. The only difference is now, every time I see him, I wanna kick him right in the…"

"Sokka!" Suki scolded. "They are married now, as you well know! They are at perfect liberty to… take advantage of that!"

"Again with the euphemisms." Toph sighed.

"Well, _excuse_ me if I don't wanna think about my little sister having sex with a guy who is like a brother to me, married or not!" Sokka retorted.

They approached the Avatar's villa, where Aang always stayed while in Ba Sing Se. The trio stepped over the mountains of gifts that had been left there for the Avatar. Sokka was about to open the door when Toph stopped him.

"On second thought, let's come back later." Toph said hastily.

"What? Why?" Sokka asked.

"Well… they _are_ newlyweds, and the vibrations I'm picking up from inside is like a huge 'Do not disturb' sign." Toph said.

It took Sokka a couple of seconds to make the connection, and then Suki and Toph barely managed to stop him from breaking down the door in a protective-big-brother fury.

"I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!"

* * *

Thankfully, Aang had no idea at that time how close he came to being violently murdered in his own bed by his over-protective brother-in-law.

After their passionate wake-up call, they had finally dressed and moved out to the large common room. And that is how Sokka, Suki, and Toph found them later. Or, rather, Katara was actually sitting on Aang's lap and they were locked at the lips. But at least they were clothed.

"Well, _some_ people certainly had an interesting morning." Toph said loudly, causing Aang and Katara to abort the kiss and looked around at their guests. "Keep it up, Twinkletoes, and you'll have Sugar Queen knocked up in no time flat!"

Aang and Katara shared a secret, knowing smile.

"Hey!" Sokka began. "I won't have any talk about my little sister being 'knocked up'!"

"Oh, shut up, Sokka. It's gonna have to happen sooner or later since Aang has a whole culture to repopulate single-handedly." Toph said.

"Still, we don't have to _talk _about it." Sokka said loudly.

"Good. Then if Katara ever does get pregnant, they'll make sure you're the last to know." Toph commented quietly.

But Sokka had fallen into a tangent and didn't hear Toph. "It's bad enough we all almost walked in on them this morning…"

"You almost did what?" Aang asked in amazement.

"Yeah, Twinkletoes, we stopped by earlier this morning. I barely managed to stop Sokka before he walked in on your little party." Toph said and Aang groaned. "Get used to it, this is Ba Sing Se. There are locks everywhere except where they need to be."

Aang grinned weakly. "I guess I should be used to it by now."

"So, Katara, do you still want to go get some new clothes before the meeting this afternoon?" Suki asked.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that." She said, sliding off Aang's lap. "Sorry, Aang, looks like our fun morning is going to be cut short."

"It's all right." Aang said, standing up. "It was fun while it lasted." He gave her a quick kiss.

"I'll see you at the meeting, then." Katara said, following Suki and Toph out the door.

Thus Aang was left with Sokka in a rather uncomfortable silence. Finally, Sokka spoke. "You know, if you weren't the Avatar and my sister's husband, I'd probably be strangling you right now."

"Then it's a good thing I'm both." Aang said in a weak attempt at humor. Sokka's frown didn't decrease in the slightest. Then Aang decided it would be in his best interest if he left, and he walked out the door with the intent of visiting Appa.

* * *

"So, what do you think about this dress?" Katara asked Suki, trying on the latest fashion among the noblewomen of Ba Sing Se.

"I think it's gorgeous." Suki said. "And I think your husband will like seeing you in it."

Katara blushed slightly. "You think so?"

"Definitely. But probably not as much as he likes seeing what's underneath, apparently." Suki smirked.

"Yeah, speaking of Twinkletoes… Suki and I have been dying to know… just how good is he?" Toph asked. "Is he the softy I imagined he'd be, or does having a thousand past lives help with his experience?"

Katara blushed more, mostly because they were in a rather public dress shop. _At least she called him Twinkletoes. Not a lot of people know that's a nickname for Aang._

"He's… great." Katara said. "I mean, it's not like I've been with anyone else, but he makes me feel really good. Yes, he was cautious and hesitant at first, but it was only because of my pain. Since then, he hasn't nearly been as hesitant."

Katara stopped talking about her and Aang's sex life when a saleswoman walked up to them. "Hello, are you finding everything you need all right?"

"Yes." Suki answered. "We'd like to buy these dresses."

"Of course. It's a lovely choice." The saleswoman said. "This way, please."

Toph grinned as she whipped out the papers that showed she was a Bei Fong. As far as Toph was concerned, the more she put on her parent's bill, the better. They had too much money anyway. They followed the Saleswoman to the counter.

* * *

That afternoon, Aang made his way to the Earth King's Palace. Just outside the gates, he met Zuko, who was also on his way to the meeting.

"Well, Aang, are you ready to descend into the pits of Hell once again?" Zuko asked. They were among the youngest delegates of high standing at the meeting since Zuko was the Firelord and Aang was the Avatar and the unofficial leader of the Air Nomads (a silly title at best). And since they were among the youngest, they had the hardest time paying attention and dealing with bureaucracy.

"Actually, coming to this meeting is a high point in my day." Aang said. "I've been on the run from Sokka all morning."

"Why?" Zuko asked, wondering why in the world the all-powerful Avatar would be afraid of a single Water Tribe man who couldn't even bend.

"This morning, he stopped by my villa and nearly walked in on Katara and me when we were, um… 'engaged'." Aang said. "Sokka's not a Water Tribe diplomat, so he can't come to the meeting and try to kill me for taking Katara's innocence despite the fact that I'm her husband."

"Newsflash, he's never going to be happy about the full extent of your relationship with his sister. But he'll eventually get over himself. Especially if you make him an uncle." Zuko said.

"I suppose. I guess he thought that, since I was raised by monks, I could love Katara without feeling a physical attraction to her." Aang said. "But I am physically attracted to her."

"As it should be." Zuko said. "Next time he gives you or Katara a hard time, why don't you try reminding him that he's not the only one who is married around here, and that you have just as much right to be with your wife as he does with his."

"Great idea, Zuko. Thanks!" Aang replied.

He felt someone tap on his shoulder, and he turned around, expecting to find a fan. But the sight that greeted him was far greater.

It was Katara dressed in a beautiful Earth Kingdom dress. In Aang's honest opinion, Katara looked great no matter what Nation's style she wore, but this dress really complimented her. It accentuated and complimented her perfect body beautifully, making his mouth go dry suddenly.

"Katara…" He whispered, barely audible.

"So, Aang, what do you think of my dress?" Katara asked, enjoying his reaction.

"I think… it's great. Wow, Katara, you look beautiful!" Aang said breathlessly.

"I'm glad you approve." Katara gave him a quick kiss.

"Well, shall we?" Zuko asked, getting the newlywed's attention.

"Yes." Aang replied, once again offering Katara his arm. She accepted it and they followed Zuko into the Earth King's Palace.

* * *

The meeting took place in the Earth Council's chambers. Since today was the first day of the Season of Earth, the Earth Kingdom influenced the agenda of today's meeting the most. And since the plan to repopulate the Air Nomads was the Earth King's plan, it was sure to be on the agenda.

Aang took his seat, which was under the duel banners of the Air Nomads and the Avatar.

Katara rather reluctantly joined her fellow delegates from the Southern Water Tribe, well aware that this was probably the last year she would be able to represent the Water Tribe. She was the Avatar's wife, and was now an unofficial Air Nomad now.

Across from the Water Tribe, Firelord Zuko took his seat beneath the banner of his Nation.

Once everyone was seated, the Earth Kingdom's High Councilor stood. "I now call to order the sixth Spring Equinox meeting, between the Four Nations. On this day, the element of power shifts from Water to Earth. Let us begin." He glanced at his notes, and wrinkled his nose, apparently at a distasteful topic. "Avatar Aang of the Air Nomads?"

Aang was expecting this, so he stood without hesitation.

First the High Councilor spoke about the Earth King's plan regarding the Air Nomad's future, which Aang expected was for the benefit of everyone else in the room.

"You have been made aware of these plans?"

"Yes, I have." Aang answered.

"Do you have an answer for this Council now?"

"Yes, but I must speak of an important matter before I give my answer."

"Very well, Avatar Aang."

Aang sighed. "Whatever I decided, I simply asked that the Council respect a single decision I have made about my personal life: my decision to get married." Aang heard several shocked gasps around the room. "Once week ago, I took Katara of the Southern Water Tribe as my wife. I ask only that the Council respect my marriage and never ask me to give the women involved anything more than the physical act required of me."

The room began buzzing as the Earth Council and Water Tribes began talking among themselves in shock at the Avatar's announcement.

Zuko stood up. "I agree to Avatar Aang's conditions." Aang smiled at Zuko ever though he knew Zuko had respected his feelings before this meeting. Zuko's vote of confidence would now serve to get the ball rolling until the other nations accepted his terms.

One of the Earth Councilmen sighed loudly. "It has been a long time since we've had direct dealings with the free-spirited Air Nomads. We have all forgotten that Air cannot be contained. The Earth King… he was foolish to believe that he would force an Air Nomad to give up the one they loved and be chained to a life of duty. The Earth Kingdom agrees to your conditions."

"As does the Water Tribes." The main delegate from the Northern Water Tribe said.

"Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe, your marriage to Avatar Aang has made you, by law, a member of the Air Nomad Nation. If you would take a place by your husband, we can proceed."

A servant quickly brought in a new seat for Katara, placing it next to Aang, and she joined him. She was still Water Tribe by birth and Bending abilities, but she was officially an Air Nomad now.

Aang smiled at her briefly, and then turned his attention to the Council. "And now, your answer. With my wife's blessing, I will commit myself to this plan of rebuilding the Air Nomads."

The reaction around the room was mixed, but overall, they knew it was as necessary as Aang did.

Zuko stood up. "If I may add one more thing… I have compiled a list of traits that the Avatar has found agreeable about the women involved with this plan. I can see everyone here a copy of the list, and we can discuss this plan further in the Fire Nation on the Summer Solstice."

"Very well. We shall continue this discussion on the Summer Solstice." The High Councilor agreed. He seemed relieved to lose the responsibility of this distasteful topic.

The rest of the meeting, they didn't speak about anything that was really interesting to Aang. He gave his opinion when it was required or asked for, but otherwise, he remained silent.

Having told the Four Nations that he would proceed with the plan suddenly made it much more real.

Even though he knew that he would never love anyone besides his wife, could he really be with someone else in a way that he's only been with her? Could he really do it without feeling the crushing weight of guilt?

While he was lost in thought, the meeting came to an end, and he only realized it when Katara gave him a nudge.

"Aang, it's time to go. The meeting's over." Katara whispered to him.

Aang jumped slightly. "Oh, thank you, Katara." He stood with her and were quickly swarmed by Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe delegates congratulating them on their marriage.

Katara welcomed their kind words, but she could tell that Aang wasn't really paying attention. He was wearing the same look he always wore when he was pretending to pay attention, but his mind was really else-where.

Katara took the initiative and answered all the questions directed at Aang before they could realize the Avatar wasn't paying attention to them. After all, he was famous for being considerate to everyone, so getting caught not listening would certainly damage his reputation.

Eventually, the small army of well-wishers dissipated, and Katara was able to lead a silent Aang out of the building.

Once they were close to their lodgings, and there were very few people on the street, Katara spoke to him.

"Aang, you've been really quiet. What's wrong?"

Aang sighed. "It didn't seem real until I told that Council that I would do it."

He didn't need to say anything else. Katara realized exactly what was wrong. She pressed against his side, and he gazed down at her in surprise. "I can't imagine how hard this is for you. Just know that I am behind you one hundred percent. I'll never forget that I am your only wife and the mother of your first child." She took his hand and pressed it to her stomach where they both knew their first child was growing.

* * *

**LES: Good Lord. Let's end the chapter there, shall we?**


	10. You're What?

**LES: It has been several weeks, and the Gang has returned to the Southern Air Temple. Things are pretty much the same as before except, as Aang's wife, she's in his room now. And since they are newlyweds, everyone else moved their rooms as far from theirs as possible. Aang and Katara are still the only ones who know about her pregnancy… but not for long! (Evil grin)**

**Chapter X: "You're What?!?"**

* * *

The fateful day when the rest of the gang discovered Katara's pregnancy began normally enough. It was the middle of spring, and the weather was perfect. But, that morning, there was one couple less inclined to enjoy the beautiful weather that blessed the Southern Air Temple during the mild spring.

Katara could say with absolute certainty that she'd had better mornings. Her morning sickness had started about a week ago as simple nausea. She hadn't actually purged anything yet, but this morning was different.

She had woken up as usual, with a feeling of nausea. But, a few seconds later, her saliva glands went into over-drive, she tasted bile in the back of her throat, and her diaphragm contracted horribly. Her body was sending its message loud and clear: 'get out of bed. You're gonna puke.'

She swiftly rolled out of bed, waking Aang up with her movement. "Katara, what…?" He trailed off as she rushed to a large bucket set in the corner of the room, knelt before it, and instantly vomited into it. "Katara!" Aang repeated, this time with alarm in his voice as he quickly jumped out of bed, rushed over to her, and held her hair back as she dry-heaved into the bucket.

The bucket had been in the room ever since her nausea began, and Aang would often wake up to find her hovering over it nervously. But, so far, nothing had come of it… until this morning at least.

Aang knew better than to ask her a stupid question like 'are you all right'? No one in their right mind enjoyed vomiting, and dry-heaving was even worse. So he simply was there for her, holding her hair back and rubbing her back until he felt her diaphragm stop jumping under his fingers.

When she was done, she turned and embraced her husband, sobbing lightly into his chest.

Aang returned her embrace. "Shhh. I'm here for you, Katara. I'm here."

"Easy for you to say." Katara said a little bitterly. "Why is it women have to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth while the men only do the fun parts?" Aang didn't have an answer for that, even after living a thousand lifetimes. He could faintly hear all the previous female Avatars agreeing heartily with Katara's words, and all the previous male Avatars urging him to just agree with her. "I thought I was going to be lucky… only getting a little nauseous. I guess whatever spirit is in charge of pregnancy doesn't like me very much."

"If you want, I could go to the Spirit World, hunt down this spirit, and tell them to take it easier on you." Aang said.

The words sounded like a joke, but Katara could tell from his tone that he was completely serious. He succeeded in getting a small smile out of her. "Could you get me a cup of water, please?"

"Of course." Aang rushed out of the room, leaving Katara alone.

Now that they had almost two months since their marriage, she was positive that she was pregnant, and that Aang's vision on their wedding night hadn't been some fluke. She had missed her last menstrual cycle, and her morning sickness proved it to her beyond a shadow of a doubt.

But, now that she knew she was pregnant, that brought on all sorts of new questions and feelings. Would the child be a boy or girl? Would it take after herself or Aang, the Airbending thing aside? Would they be good parents? Not to mention that she felt a little weird knowing that there was new life growing inside her. But, perhaps, that was something all pregnant women felt.

Another though occurred to her, just as Aang came back into the room, holding a cup of water. Katara accepted the cup from him gratefully and used the water to get the lingering taste of bile out of her mouth. Then she drank the rest of the water in small sips to avoid triggering her nausea.

"Aang?" She asked when she was finished.

"Hmm? What is it, Katara? Do you need more water?" He asked.

"No, I think I'm fine now. My nausea never lasted long before." Katara assured him. "I'm just wondering how we will be able to tell."

"Tell what?"

"That our child is an Airbender?" Katara finished. "We'll need proof before we make any sort of announcement. I mean, we can't just say that our child is an Airbender because you had a vision of the future."

"Huh. I've never thought about that…" Aang trailed off thoughtfully.

"So… what were the signs of Airbending that your people looked for in their children?" Katara asked.

Aang shrugged, looking utterly stumped. "Sneezing, I guess? I'm not sure. The Air Nomads never tested their children for Bending powers."

"What? Why?" Katara asked.

"Because the Air Nomads were the only Nation that didn't have any non-Benders. If the child was born to Air Nomad parents, then they were an Airbender, no question. There are only a few times in the Air Nomad history when a non-Bender has been born, and they were the results of cross-cultural marriages."

"Like ours?"

"Yeah, like ours. I guess we do need to come up with some sort of test." Aang trailed off thoughtfully once again. "I guess our sneezes would be the most obvious sign of Airbending powers. It is the most pure expression of Airbending. Even newborns can do it, although the results are not as powerful as in a Master Airbender."

"I remember the first time you sneezed." Katara said nostalgically. "You flew about fifteen feet into the air. And then you got that cold a few years ago and single-handedly almost destroyed an entire wing of the Temple."

"Don't worry; a child's sneeze would be more like a gentle breeze rather than my explosions." Aang assured her. "And… um… oh! You can tell if a child is an Airbender from the way they move."

"From the way they move?" Katara asked, confused. "How?"

"I've seen it a hundred times, but I haven't thought about it since I was a child. Air Nomad infants and toddlers move differently from children born to other nations. Hmm… it's gonna be hard to explain this to a non-Airbender." Aang paused, thinking. "I guess… well, to most people, the air around them is something intangible. They can't see it, touch it, and they can only feel it when there is a breeze. But it's different for me. I can feel the air around me all the time like it's a tangible thing. I can touch the air, grab it, and even see it if the wind is strong enough. That's how an Airbender harnesses the power of air; by being aware of the air around us, taking control of natural air currents, and bending it to our will."

"Sounds like Waterbending."

"It _is_ a lot like Waterbending." Aang said. "Okay, I've got it. Being an Airbender is like being submerged in water all the time. Air kind of feels like water to me, and most people move differently when they are in water."

"So an Air Nomad child makes motions like they're swimming through the air?" Katara clarified.

"Yeah." Aang said. "It really becomes obvious once the child starts walking. They start to move around like this." Aang mimicked a motion that Katara would normally associate with someone walking through chest-high water: walking normally, but using his arms to gain extra momentum through a thick substance.

"And how long did this habit last?" Katara knew that Aang had lost the habit sometime before he was twelve, because she had never seen him walk like that. She probably would have noticed it if he had.

"It depends. I guess it's whenever the child comes into contact with other cultures. Children who are raised by their Nomadic parents and not the Temples probably lost the habit a lot sooner than us wards of the Temple. I didn't make my first trip away from the Southern Air Temple until I was five. It was a trip to the Fire Nation, and when I first met Kuzon. He was the one who commented on the way I walked. It was the first time in my life that someone said I walked weird, so I forced myself to let go of that old habit. I still had to endure one more year of strange looks from people who couldn't understand why Air Nomad children were compelled to move that way."

"Then it will probably be worse for our Airbender children." Katara said. "Back when you were a child, people were more familiar with Airbenders then they are now."

"Well, we can hope that no one would dare make fun of the sons and daughters of the Avatar." Aang said hopefully.

"I suppose you're right. None of those people knew you were the Avatar back then."

"Well… they knew that I was a candidate to be the Avatar." Aang said. "The monks knew that I was the Avatar since I was about two; but the rest of the Nations and the normal Air Nomads only had a list of children who had been born one week after Avatar Roku died. I guess they used that list as a betting pool for people to bet which one of us would be the Avatar."

"In that case, you must've been the favorite because you Mastered Airbending so young." Katara said.

Aang chuckled. "Actually, I was the second favorite. There was another boy who was three days older than me, born the day after Roku died. His Airbending wasn't as good as mine, but he was still the general favorite."

"Why?" Katara asked. "It should have been obvious with your skill in Airbending that you were special."

"Well… I suppose it's because we all competed against each other continuously. Katara, what do you think you would do if there was a chance that you were the Avatar?"

"Well, I suppose I would try to Bend an element besides my natural element."

"That's what we did at every opportunity. Technically, we weren't allowed to even try to Bend the other elements because a successful Bending would prematurely expose the Avatar. The monks would punish us whenever they caught us at it." Aang said. "He claimed that he was able to Bend Water and Fire. I saw it myself, and after that, I gave up the thought of being the Avatar."

"But… how?" Katara asked. "Only the Avatar can control all four elements, and you were the real Avatar."

"It's simple. He cheated. The monks knew right away that he was cheating, but I didn't figure out how he did it until I was told I was the true Avatar and I began to think how someone could Bend Water and Fire with just Airbending. He used Airbending to create ripples on the surface of some water. And, as for the fire, he used an Advanced Airbending move that allows an Airbender to adjust the density of the air. The more air there is for a fire to feed off, the bigger the flame."

"Wow. I didn't know an Airbender could do that." Katara said, amazed.

"Very few Airbenders could do it. There are thirty-six levels to Mastering Airbending, and that move is that the thirty-fifth…" Aang suddenly trailed off.

"Aang, what is it?" Katara asked, slightly concerned.

Aang jumped slightly. "Nothing. Just a thought." He kissed her. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, I'm feeling better now." Katara answered, still confused by Aang's actions.

"Okay, I have to go look something up in the Temple's library. I'll be there today if you need me." With that, Aang left suddenly.

Katara really grew concerned about him. But she did know her husband well enough that when he was ready to talk to her about it, he would. She just had to be patient until that time.

She mentally tallied up her list of chores for that day, and then set out to first help make breakfast for everyone with Suki's help.

* * *

"Good morning, everyone." Katara greeted the gang cheerfully as she set out breakfast in the Temple's common room.

"Good morning, sis." Sokka greeted, immediately digging into the food that Katara set down.

"Good morning, Katar—oh!" Toph gasped. Then she grinned evilly. "So, where's Aang?"

"He said he had to study something in the library." Katara answered.

"Oh, that's too bad. Cause I've got three words that will make Sokka wanna kill him. And that's always interesting to watch!"

Katara mentally counted the words it would take to expose her secret. "Toph, don't!"

"Who do I wanna kill?" Sokka asked, swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Aang!"

"Toph!"

"And why would I wanna kill a guy who is like a little brother to me?"

"Because that guy who is like a little brother to you is all ready making you an uncle!" Toph said, grinning. "Katara is pregnant!"

Everyone at the table froze; all attention was suddenly on Sokka, waiting for his reaction. He looked like he was torn between rage and happiness. But, after a few seconds, he sighed and his expression settled on 'happy'. "Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different now that you're married. I'm glad for you, Katara."

"Oh wow! This is such good news!" Suki said happily. "How far along are you?"

"Almost two months." Katara answered.

"Well, I'll bet that Twinkletoes was over the moon when he found out." Toph paused. "You _have_ told him, right?"

"Aang knows." Katara assured her. "He's been very supportive, especially with helping me with my morning sickness."

"So, when are you going to let the world know the good news? You know everyone is interested in Aang's children." Suki asked.

"I guess when I start to show. That usually happens around the fourth month."

"Do you remember those old stories from before the war?" Suki asked. "There were events that the entire world celebrated together, but I never really believed it. Now I think I know what they were talking about. This news will make the entire world happy. And if the baby is an Airbender, then you'll be that much closer to saving the Air Nomads."

Katara placed her hands on her abdomen. "Of course, I'm really happy to help Aang save his culture, but really, I'm happy to be having his children. Even if I'm getting really sick in the morning."

"Well, we're really happy for the both of you." Suki said.

"Yeah, you two will be great parents as long as you don't become over-protective like mine." Toph said.

Even though Toph had gotten back in touch with her parents after the end of the War, they still tried to baby her.

It all started when they went to visit her parents, and they could seem to do nothing except give vaguely-disguised criticisms of Aang for involving her in the highly dangerous battle against the Firelord. _"It was awfully irresponsible for a young man who intends to look after the entire world to take a young, helpless, blind girl into battle."_ And things along those lines.

A few days later, their attitudes suddenly made a complete about-face. They started practically sucking up to Aang, giving their thanks for his saving the world, and offering him anything he wished in return for bringing their daughter back home.

It was only later that they were hoping to arrange a marriage with Aang and Toph, which was quite obvious when they tried to offer Aang their daughter's dowry.

After that, it became quite awkward for all involved because Aang and Katara had just started dating, and Toph yelled at her parents a number of times that she had no interest what-so-ever in a Twinkletoes-fancy-pants-fairy like Aang. (_"No offense, Twinkletoes."_ _"None taken."_)

The visit climaxed when Toph's parents cornered Aang and Toph, trying to explain how they would both benefit from a marriage between them. Before Aang could feebly protest that he was dating Katara, Toph had Earthbended a hole in the wall and yanked Aang away, yelling at Katara that they were leaving.

Katara still remembered Toph's words as they raced away from the Bei Fong estate in a rage. "_Apparently, being the Avatar's Earthbending Master, the greatest Earthbender in the world, and helping you guys stop the war wasn't enough to get my parents to respect me! I don't need them, and I don't need to marry Aang! Katara, you can KEEP him!_"

Katara definitely didn't want to have that sort of relationship with her children. "If I do start to become that over-protective, will you knock some sense into me?"

Toph laughed. "It will be my pleasure, Sugar Queen!"

* * *

Later that day, Toph made her way alone to the Air Temple's library. She had listened to Katara, Sokka, and Suki marvel at the sheer volume of the Temple's collection of books, and she heard Aang say that the Southern Temple's library was nothing compared to the collection housed at the Eastern Air Temple.

While the other three Temples contained a collection of books relevant to just their Temple, the Eastern Air Temple was the Guardian of the history of the entire Air Nomad culture. There were writings going all the way back to the mysterious time before the Avatar and Bending when a young man befriended a rare Sky Bison, and learned how to Bend the very air; becoming the world's first human Airbender.

Toph had never set foot in the library herself. Being blind, reading books was a luxury that she could not enjoy; so she had no use for the Temple's vast collection.

But, today, she was interested not in the books, but in Aang.

She found the young Avatar seated in one of the library's chairs, surrounded by books and scrolls, reading from a thick scroll.

"Hey, Aang, what's up?"

Aang jumped slightly. "Oh, hi, Toph. What are you doing here? You always said you didn't have any use for books or libraries."

"I don't." Toph said, sitting in the chair next to him. "I'm looking for you, and here you are."

"Oh, okay. What do you want, Toph?" Aang asked, carefully setting the scroll aside.

"I know, Aang." Toph said with a smirk.

"Know what?"

"About Katara being pregnant." Toph said. She leaned over and punched his shoulder. "Congratulations, Twinkletoes! You've officially proven yourself a man!"

Aang rubbed his sore shoulder. "I've always been be a man."

"No quite. Did you hear that you're still played by a girl in that play?"

Aang groaned. It never failed, every year he was invited by the Ember Island Players to come see the play based on his journey to become a fully realized Avatar and stop the Firelord. But Aang had seen it in disguise, and he hated the play. He heard the playwright changed the ending from Zuko getting killed and Aang dying to Aang beating the Firelord and Zuko becoming Firelord at the new Firelord's request. But even Zuko couldn't get the playwright to change the relationships back to reality. The new play ended with Katara marrying Zuko. (A/N: The playwright's a Zutarian!)

Lots of people had asked Aang what he thought of the play. Aang never answered these questions, but he secretly wondered if there was a polite way to say that he hated the play, and if it was never performed again, it would be too soon.

"So, you excited about being a Daddy?" Toph asked.

"Well, yeah. Of course I am!" Aang said. "But I'm also a little nervous. What if I'm not ready to have my own child? It seems like I was a child myself until just a little while ago."

"Don't worry about it, Twinkletoes. You're laid back enough that you'll be a good Dad. Besides, what kid wouldn't want to have the Avatar as their father?"

"Well… I guess." Aang said.

"So… what are you doing in here? Katara said you were rather eager to come here this morning."

"It's just that… I'm trying to find this Airbending technique…"

"An Airbending technique?" Toph repeated. "But shouldn't you know all the Airbender techniques because you're a Master Airbender?"

"Well, um… not exactly." Aang said nervously. "There are thirty-six levels to Mastering Airbending, and I'm at the thirty-fifth level."

"Then why did you get those tattoos? Aren't they only for a Master Airbender?" Toph asked.

"There are two conditions to be fulfilled to become an Airbending Master." Aang explained. "A novice must master the thirty-six levels of Airbending and invent a new move. After I invented the Air Scooter, the monks decided that I had earned the tattoos. They said something about being concerned that a ten year old was too immature to learn the final level of Airbending."

"Wow, then it must be a pretty hard move."

"Or a dangerous move." Aang corrected.

"Dangerous? But isn't Airbending all about defense?" Toph asked.

"Normally, yes. But there had to be a reason why I wouldn't have learned it until a came-of-age. It must've been a dangerous move the monks wouldn't trust to a child." Aang said. "I have to learn this move and completely Master Airbending so that I can teach my children to Master Airbending so they can teach my descendants and reincarnations when I am gone."

"Good point." Toph said. "But do you really think that the ultimate Airbending technique would be in a book where anyone could read it?"

"Oh, it would be safe in a book." Aang said confidently. "Long ago, before the Avatar, the Nations were divided by more than just culture; they were divided by language too. All the important books were written in the ancient Air Nomad language which only the monks knew how to read. Besides, these books came from the top shelf."

Toph 'looked' around with her Earthbending vision. It was a massive room, with the shelves stretching all the way up to the top. But she didn't see a single latter or staircase in the whole room.

"Oh, I get it. The better you are at Airbending, the higher you can go." Toph said.

"Exactly." Aang said. "The ultimate technique has to be at the top. I'll find it and learn it!"

"Good luck with that." Toph said, leaving Aang to his readings.

* * *

**LES: Once again, this 'Ultimate Airbending Technique' was inspired by the Lost Scrolls on the Air Nomads, which is a great resource book. Here's the actual text from the book:**

"**One must master Airbending to earn the arrow tattoos. To do this, an Airbender must invent a new move and pass the thirty-six levels of Airbending. Though Aang just only reached the thirty-fifth level before he left the Jongmu [Southern Air] Temple, his invention of the Air Scooter earned him his tattoos early."**

**So I started thinking about this missing level of Airbending, and eventually came up with a (hopefully) believable idea. Which shall be revealled... later...**


	11. The Ultimate Airbending Technique

**LES: Coming up with the Ultimate Airbender technique took me a while, but it made a lot of sense once I came up with it. And, no, it's not an upgrade like Fire to Lightning, or Earth to Metal, or Water to Blood. I still can't come up with a believable upgrade from Airbending. Hell, even Mike and Bryan can't come up with one! It's all ready too versatile to warrant an upgrade. Anyway, this picks up two months later. Katara is four months pregnant and is starting to show. And also, to a certain reviewer (you know who you are), I know I promised to go into more detail about the Airbender repopulation plan during the Summer Solstice, but I've kind of had to shorten it. Hopefully, it will all become clear by the time the Autumn Equinox comes.**

**Chapter XI: The Ultimate Airbending Technique**

* * *

The Summer Solstice and the Four Nations meeting in the Fire Nation had come and gone. This time, Aang had been forced to travel alone, because Katara was still getting morning sick and riding on Appa only seemed to make it worse.

Aang absolutely hating going alone, but Katara insisted on it. After all, they were going to finalize the qualities present in the women used to repopulate the Air Nomads.

Aang was glad to see that the Earth Kingdom readily accepted the standards Zuko outlined. The Water Tribe took some convincing, but they eventually agreed it was for the best.

They also decided that two women from each nation would be a good number to start with. In three years after the children were born, they would assess them to see if any more were needed.

The Council also discussed the women's compensation. After all, surrogacy was not unheard of. It had just never been used on a scale like this.

Aang really had nothing to give, except his services as the Avatar. If any of the women's families ever needed his assistance in anything, and if it didn't go against his worldly duties as the Avatar, he vowed that he would do what he could for them. Those chosen by the Earth Kingdom would get free houses in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se and enough gold to match their status. Both the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes would give titles of nobility to the women's families and monetary compensation. All in all, it was a very generous reward considering the normal compensation for a surrogate mother was twenty-five thousand silver pieces. Even Aang's gift alone was priceless.

_(A/N: In the United States, surrogate mothers are normally paid around twenty-five thousand dollars. That is where my number came from.)_

So, it was decided that during the Summer months, the three nations would finalize their pick for their two women and bring them to the Southern Air Temple for the Autumn Equinox meeting for the final meeting, and leave them at the Air Temple at the conclusion of the meeting so that Aang could do his duty.

All in all, Aang was glad to get away from the Fire Nation and back home to the Air Temple.

Katara told him that the last three months were the hardest on a pregnant woman. And it made him sick to think that he would be spending the hardest time of Katara's pregnancy with other women.

It wasn't just one other woman either, but six.

On the way home, his brooding got so bad that he started to wonder if those women wouldn't mind if he was in the Avatar State as he made love to them. After all, this distastefully duty was the Avatar's duty, so why couldn't he let himself go and let the Avatar Spirit inside him take over?

Of course, he came to his answer quickly. It would terrify the women. He was a monk at heart, so he couldn't ease his own pain like that if it caused someone else pain.

So it was a great relief to get back to the Southern Air Temple; and an even greater relief to see Katara waiting for him.

He leapt off Appa's saddle when the Sky Bison was at least ten feet up in the air, but he landed with the grace of an Airbender and rushed over to Katara, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a passionate kiss.

Aang pulled away slightly and moved his hands down from her sides to her abdomen when he could all ready feel the bump that marked their growing baby.

"I missed you so much, Katara." Aang said. "Both of you."

Katara grinned. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I won't be giving birth for another five months. But I missed you too, Aang." She kissed him.

"How are you feeling?" Aang asked.

"Better now. But I've been driving Sokka crazy with my food cravings. He doesn't know how you deal with me."

"He'll find out how I deal with you when Suki finally gets pregnant. You just watch." Aang said with a grin. "I brought you something for your cravings." Aang handed her a package.

Katara opened it. She gasped. "Komodo chicken meat?" Her cravings had largely consisted of meat cravings, but there was no meat to be had anywhere in the Temple. There wasn't even any game this high in the Patola mountains. These things had led to Katara becoming someone of a vegetarian, though not as strict as Aang, she just ate a lot less meat than before. He had never _stopped_ her from eating meat, per se, but he also never encouraged it. "Aang, you didn't have to do this for me."

"I know I didn't have to. But I wanted to." Aang said. "Meat is very good for pregnant women… the best source of protein. The reason you're craving it is because your body needs it. Even Air Nomad women ate meat when they were pregnant because they knew that their needs, and the needs of their baby were more important than an all-ready dead animal. Just know, I'll do anything for you, Katara."

Katara embraced her husband. "Thank you. Have I told you you're the best husband in the world?"

"You could stand to mention it more." Aang said, kissing her.

Katara longed to ask him how the meeting went, but she could understand that he wouldn't want to talk about it.

So Katara simply kissed him, diving deeper into her passion for him by the minute.

Suddenly, Aang pulled away from her. "Don't tease me, Katara."

"I'm not teasing." Katara said. "I want you."

"Are you sure? After all, all I've been hearing for the past few weeks is 'not tonight, Aang'."

Katara glared at him. "How many pregnant women have you known in your life?"

"Uh… the one whose baby you helped deliver in the Serpent's Pass?" Aang answered uncertainly. "We didn't get that many pregnant women at the Southern Air Temple. They went to the nuns at the Eastern and Western Temples.

Katara sighed. "Then I'll forgive you just this once. Never question a pregnant woman, especially when she wants you. As I get bigger, you'll get it less and less as I get more uncomfortable."

"Oh. Then I guess we should make the most of this." Aang said, kissing her and leading her through the Air Temple to their room.

* * *

The next day, Toph moved randomly through the halls of the Southern Air Temple, looking for any form of entertainment.

Living in a Temple would have been great for the monks who were content to do little more than sit and meditate all day, but Toph wasn't very spiritual beyond the fact that she believed in the spirits. It was hard not to when one of your best friends is a spirit in mortal form. And it was great for Aang and Katara or Sokka and Suki who could keep themselves entertained, but Toph didn't have their privilege of being married.

Toph was just bored.

She was making her way past the library when she heard someone cry out in shock from inside the large room. It only took her a second to realize that it was Aang. Somewhat glad that _something_ was happening, she rushed into the library.

Once she was inside, she found that Aang was crumpled on the floor, clutching his throat, and coughing violently.

Toph rushed over, afraid that he was chocking on something. "Hang on, Aang!" She raised her hand, preparing to bring it down hard on his back to dislodge whatever was chocking him.

"Wait!" Aang croaked, before going back to coughing. Toph paused, because people normally couldn't speak when they were choking. And now that she was taking the time to listen to his body, she could find nothing physically wrong with him. Or, at least, nothing she could pick up.

"What happened, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked. "I thought you were choking!"

Aang finally seemed to catch his breath. "I'm sorry that I scared you. It just… startled me. I've never… felt anything like that before."

"Never felt anything like what?"

"I learned the ultimate Airbending technique." Aang said.

"Well, judging by your reaction, it must be a pretty powerful technique."

"Powerful? Yes, it is powerful. But it's also very dangerous." Aang said.

"Dangerous? How could an Airbending move invented by monks be dangerous?"

"I could kill you right now." Aang said seriously.

Toph didn't reply for several seconds. "Whoa."

"And, if I learn finer control on it, I could probably use this move to disable any Airbender or Firebender in battle."

"Wait, so just what is this move?"

"I'm… I'm not totally sure. It was like the opposite of normal Airbending. Instead of bringing the air in and using it, it was like I pushed the air away from my body!"

"So, you made a breeze?" Toph asked, sounding disappointed. "How very anti-climatic, Twinkletoes."

"No, no, it wasn't a breeze!" Aang said. "It was like… I made a space around my body where there was no air!"

"No air? Please, that's not possible."

"I swear! Since I am an Airbender, I've been able to feel the air all my life, even when it's still. But, for the first time in my life, I couldn't feel the air move around me." Aang explained. "I was so shocked, I cried out…" He shook his head. "When I tried to breathe… it was the second most painful thing I've ever felt in my life; the first was getting shot with lightning in Ba Sing Se. I tried to take a breath, but there was nothing there to breathe. Ow…" Aang rubbed his chest. "It still hurts."

"So… that's what the last Airbender move is?" Toph asked.

"Yes." Aang said. "No wonder the monks didn't want me to learn this until I came of age. This gives me the power to disable or even kill with a single move!"

* * *

**LES: You know what they say about sex? That sex is like air; it's not important… unless you're not getting any. Anyway, I've come up with an Airbending move that can kill! It makes sense that a powerful Airbender could create a vacuum. Oh, and let's just ignore the faulty logic of Aang being able to make a sound in a vacuum, shall we?**


	12. The Greatest First

**Chapter XII: The Greatest First**

* * *

It had been a month since Aang had discovered the Ultimate Airbending move, but the rest were still having doubts about Aang's new power. Aang refused to prove his power by practicing the move on them. He didn't even practice on himself any more. He practiced on a small scale by putting out candles, or on a large scale by removing the air from a room while carefully holding his breath.

But, even better than that, in the last month, they had sent official news to the leaders of the other nations and their friends in the other nations about Katara's pregnancy, and the news spread like wildfire. Hardly a day went by without some correspondence congratulating them on their first child, wishing them well, or getting some gifts from their friends.

In fact, that's what Katara and Aang were doing at that very moment, opening their correspondence.

"Oh, look, here's one from Toph's parents. Oh… oh…" Katara trailed off. "Nevermind."

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Katara said, skimming over the parchment. "Just a long letter about why Toph would be a better mother for your children than me."

Aang laughed. "I don't think I'm brave enough to handle Toph. She needs someone who can handle her. Besides, I don't see Toph settling down with just anyone. If she doesn't marry the right man, she'll drive him crazy for the rest of his life."

Katara tossed the letter aside, and Aang reached for the next one, which was a package with a letter attached. "Who is it from?" Katara asked.

"It's from Bumi!" Aang said excitedly. Katara could understand her husband's excitement. Bumi, or King Bumi of Omashu, was the only person left that Aang had known in his childhood. One hundred years ago, Aang and Bumi had been the same age. Now, while Aang was still youthful at eighteen years old, Bumi was closer to one hundred and twenty. And rumors were that his health was failing. It was possible that Bumi wouldn't be around much longer. One of Bumi's advisors was keeping Aang updated on the King's condition so that Aang could go to Omashu when the time came.

Aang never had a chance to say good-bye to any of his old friends, though he had tracked down what happened to them. Aang had been heartbroken when Zuko told him that his old friend Kuzon had only died five years before he was released from the iceberg, after attaining a high rank in the Fire Nation army during the war. Zuko also told him that Kuzon had been the one assigned to the Avatar hunt before him, which he had done faithfully until he was killed in an Earth Kingdom ambush. Though Aang secretly liked to believe that Kuzon wasn't searching for him because he was the Avatar, but because he was an old friend. After all, Kuzon had been one of the few people that he confided his true identity to outside the Air Nomads.

It seemed that if Aang was able to say good-bye to Bumi, it would make him feel a little better about all the other funerals he had missed.

Aang carefully opened up the parchment and read it out loud. "To my dear friend, Aang, do you remember these? I give them back to you in the hope that your children will find them just as entertaining."

As Aang read, Katara took the package and began to open it.

"They are also given in the hope that they will not need to see their true purpose for a long time." Aang finished reading and looked at his wife. "What is it?"

"I don't know. Toys?" Katara lifted one of the toys out of the package.

Aang gasped out loud and dropped the parchment from nerveless hands. Shocked by Aang's reaction, Katara glanced down at the toy in her hand. It seemed to her to be just an ordinary turtle doll. "Aang, what is it?"

"I know that toy…" Aang said, taking it from her. "Are there three other toys in the package?"

Katara glanced into the package. "Yes. What are these toys, Aang?"

"They are sacred Air Nomad treasures." Aang said. "They are the sacred Avatar relics. These toys all belonged to past Air Nomad Avatars. These are the toys that the monks tested me with. These four toys changed my life forever." Aang took a small pinwheel-like toy from the package and pulled the string, causing the pinwheel to take off. "I just picked them because they seemed like fun."

Katara remained quiet, content to let him have his nostalgic moment. He used Airbending to return the still airborne pinwheel to his hand.

The door opened and Toph entered the room, followed by Sokka, carrying more mail. "Knock knock! We've got more mail for the happy…" Toph began happily.

But she was cut off when Katara let out a sudden gasp, her hands suddenly clutching her stomach.

The room instantly erupted into an uproar.

"Katara! What's going on?" Aang jumped to his feet.

"What's going on?" Sokka panicked. "It's only been five months! You _can't_ be having the baby now!!!"

Toph punched Sokka, knocking him off his feet. "Calm down, Snoozles! She's not having the baby now."

"Aang! Quick! Come here!" Katara said urgently.

"What? What?" Aang rushed over to her.

As soon as Aang was within arm's reach, she grabbed his hands and pressed them to her stomach.

A few quiet seconds passed, and then Aang gasped. "Oh, Katara… I… wow!" Sokka and Toph had heard Aang sound awed and humbled before, but this was a whole new level! This was awed and humbled times ten!

"What is it?" Sokka asked, getting up off the floor, and still concerned for his little sister.

"Our…" Aang began, but he trailed off, apparently too emotional to speak.

"I can feel our child moving." Katara sounded just as awed as Aang did. "Oh wow…"

"This is amazing!" Aang said joyfully.

"It means our baby is growing healthy and strong." Katara said, pulling Aang into a kiss.

"Oh, Katara, can I feel?" Toph asked suddenly. "It's just… I've never had a chance to feel something like this before."

Katara was a little shocked. She knew that Toph was an only child, but surely she had come into contact with other pregnant women before. "You've never…?"  
"Nope. The only pregnant women I've met are society women who thought that letting a blind girl touch their stomach would make the baby blind too."

Katara was horrified. She knew that Toph was born blind, but it wasn't from some disease that could be caught, just an unexplainable birth defect. "Of course you can, Toph."

Aang had been just as outraged by Toph's words as Katara, so he vacated his spot in front of Katara without complaint and moved behind his wife.

Toph approached Katara and, with a slight hesitation, pressed her hands to Katara's stomach. It took a few seconds, but she giggled. "Wow! It really _is_ moving! Doesn't it feel weird?"

"A little." Katara admitted. "But, mostly, it feels amazing to finally feel my child moving."

Sokka glanced at Aang. It was easy to see that the young Avatar was very happy. His ear-to-ear grin certainly conveyed that message. But there was something else in his expression that Sokka had rarely seen there before: pride.

Even when he had defeated the Firelord, which most agreed was the greatest thing he ever did, or possibly would ever do as the Avatar; he didn't wear a look of pride like he did now.

Others might say many years from now when Aang was gone that defeating the Firelord was the greatest thing Avatar Aang ever did. But Sokka was willing to bet that Aang would look back on his own life differently, and say that _this_ was the greatest thing he ever did.

"Hey, Aang, could I talk to you for a second?" Sokka called. Aang hesitated, and then followed Sokka out of the room. Once they were some distance away, Sokka turned to Aang. "So, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?"

"This whole fatherhood thing."

"It feels great! I mean… it's also a little nerve-wracking. There are some nights when I can't sleep at all, because I'm so worried about what sort of father I'll be. But Katara keeps telling me I'll be great. And speaking of Katara, I'm more proud of her than I can say. I know I would never be able to do what she's doing. Women are amazing, aren't they?"

"Yeah, amazing." Sokka echoed with disinterest." Listen, Aang, there's a reason I wanted to talk to you. See, the thing is, Suki is…" Sokka trailed off.

"Suki's what?" Aang asked, but Sokka didn't answer. "Sokka, is Suki pregnant?"

Several tense moments passed, and then Sokka nodded.

"Wow, Sokka! Congratulations!" Aang said happily. "Looks like you're going to make me an uncle soon after I make you one. If you don't mind me saying, it's about time!"

Sokka returned Aang's grin, but his was a little more reserved. "Not everyone gets their wife pregnant on the wedding night."

"Point taken." Aang conceded. "So, how far along is she?"

"About two months."

"Oh, that's about the time Katara started getting morning sick."

"Yeah, Suki's started getting sick." Sokka said. "How do you handle it?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you're a full four years younger than me, but you all ready seem so prepared."

"It's an act, believe me." Aang said. "I never knew my parents, their names, faces, or what they were like. Monk Gyatso was the closest thing I had to a father. I know he loved me, but most of the time, he maintained a respectful distance between us. And… do you remember how Katara used to mother us?"

"Oh yeah. She really whipped you into shape, didn't she?" Sokka imitated Katara fairly well. "Sit up straight when you're talking, Aang! Don't talk with your mouth full!"

"Yeah." Aang said fondly. "That was the closest I've ever felt to having a mother."

"Geez, Aang, and you married her?" Sokka groaned.

"What? I liked it when she treated me that way. It showed she really cared about me."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Avatar or not, you are one weird guy, Aang."

"So… anyway, Monk Gyatso really was the closest thing I ever had to a father-figure. He taught me a lot of stuff, but taking care of a child wasn't one of those things."

"That sounds like one of those things you wouldn't have learned until you came of age." Sokka said.

"Yeah. I'm not sure about this fatherhood thing yet." Aang confessed.

"Hmm… I've got an idea. Let's take a guy-only trip to the South Pole. We can talk to my Dad. I'm sure he'll be just as willing to talk to you as me."

Aang considered Sokka's suggestion. It made a lot of sense, and the South Pole was only a few days away on Appa. Aang felt that he desperately needed a teacher.

"Okay. Let's do it."

* * *

(The Royal City's Institute for the Criminally Insane, The Fire Nation Capital)

The Royal City's Institute for the Criminally Insane was second only to the Boiling Rock as a high-quality Fire Nation Prison. However, unlike the Boiling Rock where the inmates were trusted enough to gain access to the exercise yard on a daily basis; the Institute housed people who simply could not interact with society.

The patients were not let out of their rooms unless they were visiting a doctor. At any other time, they were kept locked in their rooms at all times.

A young, beautiful Fire Nation noblewoman strolled past the guards as they bowed deeply to her. The guards recognized her instantly, not only because she was a regular visitor, but because she was a part of the Royal Family.

Lady Nera was the Firelord's cousin on his mother's side. So she wasn't directly related to the Royal line, but once her aunt married Zuko's father, her family got an even greater boost of status than when they were simply the direct descendants of Avatar Roku.

Her status was really the only reason she was allowed to visit such an unfriendly place.

She had been there numerous times so she knew her way around the complex well. And she could recognize each prisoner simply by the lewd comments they would throw her way. Ever the dignified noblewoman, she ignored them.

She eventually found the Cell she wanted and bowed before it. "Cousin Azula."

Indeed, this very cell was where Princess Azula, sister of the Firelord had been kept since the return of Sozin's comet.

It was true that, many years ago, Avatar Aang had tried to use Soulbending at Zuko's request to heal Azula of her madness. And while she was no longer prone to bursts of enraged insanity, Aang had been unable to heal the deeper scars of her childhood.

So Aang had actually done the worst possible thing in healing her. Her insanity made her harmless, but she had a clear mind again. She was cunning and dangerous, just like before.

Azula didn't even bother glancing at her cousin. Lady Nera was very different from Azula in that she was content with her lot in life as a woman. Lady Nera had married young to the first man of standing who asked for her hand, a nobleman old enough to be her father. Since then, the great-granddaughter of Avatar Roku had become a boring and vapid woman, content to play the housewife, spread her legs, and produce her elderly husband lots of squalling infants.

"Nera, I didn't expect you here today." Azula said calmly. They may have taken away her freedom, but they hadn't taken away her royal pride.

"I know, but I've gotten my hands on some rather interesting news, straight from Cousin Zuko."

"Oh? And how is little Zuzu doing? Has he cracked under the pressure yet?" Azula asked.

"No… In fact, the people of the Fire Nation and the other nations have great respect for him." Nera said. "You said you wanted to hear news of the Avatar?"

"Aw, yes. And how is the little pipsqueak doing?"

"He's not a pipsqueak anymore. He's eighteen years old now, and a very fine looking young man, they say."

"Please, Nera, spare me your hormonal rants." Azula cut her off harshly. _If you wanted a young man, you should have married one_. "What news do you have of the Avatar?"

"I have three pieces of information." Nera said. "The Avatar has taken a wife."

"Really? How wonderful." Nera completely missed Azula's sarcasm. "Who?"

"According to Zuko, she was the Avatar's Waterbending teacher, the Water Tribe girl he always travelled with."

Suddenly, Azula's cell erupted into flames, but thankfully, the special metal easily contained her fury. "That filthy Water Tribe peasant!?!" Azula raged.

Azula remembered Katara very well. After all, it was that filthy peasant's trick that led to her defeat. The former Princess had not forgotten, and she had not forgiven.

"Yes, and there's more." She's pregnant with the Avatar's first child."

Azula could barely contain her rage. _How dare that peasant girl find happiness?!?_ But she managed to keep it inside this time. "And what's the third piece of information?"

"Well, the three nations are joining forces to help the Avatar restore the Air Nomads." Nera quickly explained the Earth King's pan for Azula. She failed to notice Azula starting to smile. It wasn't a happy smile, but a smile preceding a hated enemy's death.

"Interesting. And Zuzu is finalizing the candidates from the Fire Nation now?"

"Yes. I'm actually on the list to be sent to the Avatar, but I think I'll turn it down…"

"Nera, accept the offer." Azula ordered.

"What?"

"If Zuzu asks you to become the Avatar's bedmate, do it." Azula repeated.

"But…"

"Oh please, Nera, we both know that you've got no problem lying with a man you don't love. The Avatar won't be any different. Besides, think about the boost of status your family will receive. It's a win-win."

"I… I suppose you're right. After all, it is only for one night and one child." Nera agreed. After all, status was everything. She started to walk away. "Thank you, Cousin Azula!"

Princess Azula sighed and sat back against the wall. "So, the fool is finally of use." Azula laughed. "The Avatar is a fool too!"

_He should never have agreed to such a foolish plan. Doesn't he realize that family is just dead weight? The more people you let into your heart, the larger the opportunity is for someone to tear it out._ A scheme began to take shape in Azula's mind. _I'll destroy the Avatar and his whore of a wife from within their own family_!

Azula knew that it would be many years before her plan would bear fruit. But she didn't care. She had time.

She had all the time in the world.

* * *

**LES: So, a glimpse at the larger plot finally? Yeah, I couldn't ignore Azula. She's too much fun!**


	13. Being a Father 101 Part 1

**LES: Another removed Lemon.**

**Chapter XIII: Being a Father 101, Part 1**

* * *

That night, the sounds of soft moans and groans emitted softly from Aang and Katara's room in their private wing of the Southern Air Temple.

It had started when Katara had started seducing Aang, which was quite the opposite of how things usually went with them. At the beginning, Katara had felt so sick with her pregnancy that she brushed off all of Aang's advances. If he did get laid, it was only after hours of everything but begging. Aang couldn't quite explain it, but in the first four months of her pregnancy, he wanted her more than he thought possible. He wanted her… all the time! But her sex-drive had dwindled down to nothing. Then, once they reached the fifth month, their sex-drives switched. Once she started showing, Aang felt awkward about having sex with her, but Katara wanted him more than ever.

Now Katara was the one begging.

Normally, he refused her, but tonight was the full moon, and no one refuses a Master Waterbender on the night of the full moon.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25247735113 / dvl - chapter - 13 - lemon

* * *

One fast-paced joining later, Katara finally seemed to be sated for her appetite for Aang. She was now content to lie next to him, enjoying the feeling of his sweat-soaked skin and the sound of his harsh pants.

Several moments passed, and then Aang turned slightly towards Katara. "Katara?"

"What?"

"Sokka and I are leaving for the South Pole tomorrow." He said.

Katara turned towards him abruptly. "What? Why?"

"Did Sokka tell you the news?"

"What news?"

"He told me this afternoon. Suki's two months pregnant."

Katara gasped, her hands travelling to her own swollen stomach. "That's wonderful! But why does that mean you and Sokka are going to the South Pole?"

"Well, Sokka's nervous about being a father, so he's gonna go talk to your father. I'm just as nervous as he is, so I'm going too."

"Aang, my father wouldn't exactly win the Father of the Year award." Katara said.

"I think he did a wonderful job raising you and Sokka under the circumstances of war." Aang said. "Besides, it's not like I could have this sort of conversation with my own father."

"Oh… oh. I'm sorry, Aang." Katara apologized.

"It's all right." Aang said. "Of course I'm upset that I never had the chance to meet my parents, but you can't miss what you've never had. My father-in-law will have to do for this conversation."

"Of course, Aang. I understand." Katara whispered, kissing him. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week at the most." Aang said.

Katara nodded. "Okay, Aang." She scooted closer to his warm body and fell asleep.

Aang carefully rested his hand against her stomach just in time to feel his child move under his fingers. "I love you too, little one." He whispered before falling asleep next to his wife.

* * *

The next morning, they left on Appa just before mid-day. They would have left sooner, but Aang was still drowsy from last night.

"What's up with you, Aang?" Sokka asked when Aang yawned for what seemed the hundredth time.

"Nothing. Katara kept me up all night." Aang said, too tired to remember that he wasn't supposed to talk about his sex life with Sokka.

Surprisingly, Sokka didn't even react to that. "Lucky bastard." Sokka said sourly. "Suki won't even let me touch her. She's making me sleep on the floor."

"Katara started off like that. Well… she never made me sleep on the floor. But, a few weeks ago, it was like we switched sex-drives. Now I hardly ever want her, but she wants to have sex all the time."

"I say again: lucky bastard." Sokka grumbled, leaning against the edge of Appa's saddle. "So, how long will it take us to get to the South Pole?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Have you even been to the South Pole in the summer?" Sokka asked.

"No. Why?"

"Then I should warn you." Sokka said. "When it is summer in the South Pole, there is no daylight."

"I know that." Aang said. "Remember, when you and Katara got me out of the Iceberg, it was winter, so the sun never set."

"Oh yeah. I thought your strangeness was a hallucination caused by Midnight Sun Madness." Sokka said. "But still, knowing about the darkness and living in it are two different things. I've seen plenty of people go made or become depressed. If it starts to get to you, tell me right away."

Aang stared back at Sokka. "Okay, Sokka. I'll take your word for it. I'll tell you right away if the darkness starts to get to me."

* * *

The next day, Aang, Sokka, and Appa entered the Southern Ocean and left the sun behind. Aang would have been lying if he said he wasn't disturbed by the darkness at mid-day. But he was determined to bare it. After all, the people of the Water Tribes dealt with this long night every year. He figured he should at least be able to handle a few days of darkness.

Aang was also very grateful for the Water Tribe parka that Sokka had let him borrow. Without the sun's warmth, his Avatar robes were not enough to stay the cold. Aang's Firebending suffered accordingly with the loss of the sun until he couldn't even produce his own flame. There was simply not enough heat in the air to produce fire.

So it was an understandable relief when they arrived at the Southern Water Tribe.

They were greeted by several Southern Water Tribesmen. They bowed. "Avatar Aang, Prince Sokka, we were not expecting you."

"We know." Sokka answered, because Aang was too busy shivering to speak. "Could you please take the Avatar's Bison to the stables? I'm going to see my father."

"At once, sir!" The men led Appa away, while Aang followed Sokka towards the Palace.

"How are we supposed to know if your father's awake?" Aang asked. "I can't tell if it's day or night."

"Believe it or not, this is day." Sokka said. "I'll tell you when it's night and day so you can keep track of the passage of time."

"Okay."

Stepping into the Palace was an even greater relief because the torches lining the walls provided light and warmth. Aang's feeling of relief manifested itself as the torches flaring briefly. Sokka glared at Aang, as he always did when he accidently was Firebending.

"Sorry." Aang apologized. "Sometimes it just… reacts."

"Ah, don't worry about it. So what if you're a Firebender? You're a good Firebender."

"A 'good' Firebender? But the Fire Nation has been at peace for seven years now." Aang pointed out.

"Good point." Sokka conceded.

They didn't have to go all the way to the Throne Room because Chief Hakoda met them in the hallways. "Sokka, Aang, it's good to see you again." He embraced his son, and then he turned to Aang. "I've got the good news. You really were not joking when you said I wouldn't have to wait long for grandchildren. How is Katara doing?"

"She's doing great." Aang answered.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been able to visit. It's a lot harder to travel once I became the Chief. But I will be there at the Southern Air Temple when the time comes. How far along is she?"

"Five months." Aang answered. "She should be having the baby at the end of Autumn."

"An Autumn child?"

"Autumn is the Season of Air. It should increase our chances of having an Airbending child." Aang said. "But, we have some more good news." Aang elbowed Sokka in the side.

"Oh, um… Katara's not the only one who's pregnant." Sokka said.

Hakoda embraced his son once again. "Congratulations, Sokka! It's about time!"

"That's what I said!" Aang commented.

"So, there must be another reason for you two to visit. Aang didn't need to be here to tell me about Suki's pregnancy."

Aang and Sokka glanced at each other. "There is another reason." Sokka said. "Aang and I need some advice on this whole fatherhood thing."

"Yes." Aang agreed. "I was only twelve when I ran away from the Air Temple. But, even if I had stayed, I doubt the monks would have ever taught me about children."

"I see." Hakoda said. "Shall we talk about this tomorrow? I have a lot to do today, but I'm free tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Thank you, Chief Hakoda."

"Good. If you'll excuse me." Hakoda left.


	14. Being a Father 101 Part 2

**Chapter XVI: Being a Father 101, Part II**

* * *

The next morning, Sokka went to wake up Aang. For the first time in months, he had no problem walking into Aang's room unannounced since Katara was back at the Southern Air Temple.

Sure enough, the Avatar was still asleep. Sokka shoved his shoulder. "Aang, wake up. It's morning."

Aang groaned and looked up. "What're you talking about, Sokka? It's still dark."

"Aang, its summer in the South Pole. It's always dark."

"Oh, oh yeah." Aang slowly started to get up. Sokka watched the young Avatar with concern. Aang had always been a morning person. To see him acting like… everyone else in the morning was strange.

"Are you feeling all right?" Sokka asked.

"Not really." Aang confessed.

"Okay." Sokka grabbed an unlit torch. "Light this." Aang lit it with a simple Firebending move without complaint. "Take it and sit down." Sokka forced the torch into Aang's hands and sat him down on the bed. "This is something we do for our children. Sit there and stare into the flames for at least ten minutes."

"How is this supposed to help?" Aang asked.

"Something about the darkness really messes with your mind. The light helps. Just trust me."

"Okay, Sokka. I'll try it." Aang said, settling in to stare into the flames.

"Ten minutes." Sokka reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah." Sokka left the room.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Aang was shocked to admit that he did feel a little better. When Sokka woke him up, he just felt tired, angry, and irritable; not at all like himself.

However, now he felt like he was in a much better mood, and more like himself. He silently vowed to trust Sokka's advice on handling the extreme seasons of the South Pole.

Now that he had finished his light therapy and finished dressing in the clothes given to him by the Southern Water Tribe, he left the room to meet up with Hakoda and Sokka.

As they guessed, they were in the dining hall, which was where the Chief normally ate as opposed to the banquet hall, which was used pretty exclusively for feasts and banquets.

"Hey, Aang, are you feeling better?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah, a lot better." Aang said. "Thanks for showing me that thing with the fire."

"The darkness." Hakoda asked.

"Yeah, Aang was acting just a little bit off this morning." Sokka said.

"Summer and winter is, without a doubt, the hardest part of living at the Poles." Hakoda said with understanding. "It gets the best of even the toughest warriors sometimes." He began to eat. "So, you two want to know what it takes to be a father?" Sokka and Aang nodded. "To tell you the truth, nobody really knows. It's something that each man learns for himself. But, if you want, I can give you both some advice."

"Anything." Sokka said.

"Aang probably all ready knows this, but pregnancy is no picnic. The most important thing you could do for your wives is be there for them and give in to their every demand."

Aang nodded. He did know this part, but Sokka looked like he was on the verge of taking notes.

"Now, in the last three months, things will get really hard on a pregnant woman. Their bodies will ache, their feet will swell, and they'll feel unattractive. Little things like massages on their lower backs or feet will work wonders. And always remind her how beautiful she is." Hakoda said. "And, when she gives birth, the best advice I can get is to wait until it's over."

Sokka nodded in agreement, but Aang spoke up. "But, I kind of all ready promised Katara that I'd be there for her."

Sokka rounded on Aang. "You did WHAT?!? Do you have _any_ idea of the horror that you've subjected yourself to? Don't you remember what happened in the Serpent's Pass?"

"What happened at the Serpent's Pass?" Hakoda asked curiously.

"We were on our way to Ba Sing Se when we ran into this pregnant woman and her family." Aang explained. "They couldn't take the ferry to Ba Sing Se because someone stole their passports. So we took them across the Serpent's Pass. We got across the pass fine, but the woman went into labor and Katara had to deliver the baby."

"Exactly! You were there!"

"Sokka, you _do_ remember that I was only twelve years old at the time?" Aang asked. "Toph and I were not allowed in the Earth Tent. I spent the whole time sitting outside the tent, covering my ears."

"And I suggest you do it again!" Sokka said. "I went in there and saw…" He shuttered. "EVERYTHING! There's no way a guy can be prepared for a view like _that_!"

Aang remembered that Sokka had gone into the tent and had fainted. He was starting to feel less sure about his promise to be there for Katara.

"Don't worry, Aang. It will be fine." Hakoda assured him. "It will make things easier for Katara if you are there. But there are still a few things you should know. The first is that Katara will be in a lot of pain, the sort of pain a man can never know. That pain might make her say things she doesn't mean."

"Like what?"

"Well, I was there for my wife, Kya, when Sokka was born. It was like my presence comforted and angered her at the same time. At first, she yelled about how the pregnancy was all my fault and I was never touching her again. Then she started threatening to… remove my manhood." Aang and Sokka winched. "By the end, she was just yelling how she was going to kill me. Katara may threaten to do all sorts of things to you. But remember, she doesn't mean it. It's just the pain talking. Once the baby is born, she won't remember a thing she said."

"Okay."

"The second, and most important piece of advice I can give is don't look." Hakoda said.

"I knew it." Sokka said.

"It will be tempting to look. But Sokka's right. There are some things…" Hakoda trailed off. "Birth _is_ a miracle, but it is messy, ugly miracle. And I doubt that Katara will appreciate it if your first look at your baby causes you to vomit or pass out. Keep your attention focused on _her_ during the birth. There'll be plenty of time for you to see your child once it's over."

Aang decided that it would be a good idea to listen to Hakoda. He trusted Sokka's advice, and Hakoda agreed with him. So he would try his hardest to keep his eyes adverted from the birth.

"And as for raising a child…" Hakoda paused. "That is something that all fathers have to discover on their own. But I promise that if you love your children and always put their needs first, you'll be great fathers."

"Thanks, Dad." Sokka said.

"Aang, my next piece of advice is for you only." Hakoda said. "Since you will have an exceptionally large family and have children from several different women, it is important that you never show favoritism."

"Favoritism?" Aang asked.

"You must never let the children born of the other women thing that you love their half-siblings from Katara more." Hakoda said. "No matter what you feel or don't feel about their mothers, they are still your flesh and blood. You must love them all equally. If you can't do that, you should back out of this plan now."

Aang didn't respond to Hakoda for several minutes, examining his feelings. "Katara's always said that I was destined to have a large family. I have enough love for any number of children."

"Okay, Aang, I trust that you know yourself." Hakoda said. "Just keep in mind that when a parent shows favoritism, it is the children that suffer." Hakoda got up and left to take care of Water Tribe business.

Aang stared down at his untouched food thoughtfully.

* * *

**LES: What was ironic about writing this chapter was as I was writing this, our Health class started talking about human sexuality and reproduction. Anyway, we had to watch this video with a pretty graphic birth scene. (As in you see EVERYTHING!!!) I bet you can imagine some of the guy's reaction to the video. In fact, most of the guys looked like that guy in the painting "The Scream" by Edvard Munch! That's the sort of stuff that makes a girl never wanna have kids… little monsters in sheep's clothing! Anyway, the next chapter is coming soon.**


	15. Autumn Equinox Meeting

**LES: Let's get something straight. I'm not good at writing romances involving one person of my favorite pairing with anyone other than their partner. So, fellow Kataangers, rejoice! Aang will ****not**** get emotionally involved with the women in this plan, and will only give them a one-night stand. For the same reason, there will be NO Lemons! NONE! I can't write loveless, straight porn Lemons.**

**Chapter XV: Autumn Equinox Meeting**

* * *

Ever since Aang became a Fully Realized Avatar, he had always been able to feel the turning of the seasons. As an Equinox or Solstice approached, his Bending with the upcoming element of power always grew slightly stronger, while his Bending with the current element of power got slightly weaker.

The seasons were starting to turn once again. Aang's Firebending got weaker by the day as a new element started to take its place.

Aang was the Avatar, which meant that he was an Airbender, Waterbender, Earthbender, and Firebender. But Avatars were always most deeply connected to their native element, which is why they always struggled with their native elements opposite. Aang was first and foremost an Airbender, so he felt the most at home during autumn, the Season of Air.

But not even the Season of Air could begin to cheer him up. Aang just felt unbelievably stressed.

The birth of his first born was less than three months away. Even with his talk with Hakoda, he felt ill-prepared. Though Hakoda promised that, when Aang saw his child for the first time, he would know what to do.

They switched sex drives once again. Katara seemed to ache constantly, so sex was now started to be out of the question. Though Aang still wanted her, he never pressured her.

But a hundred times worse than that was the knowledge that soon he would have to implement the Earth King's plan.

Aang was reminded of it when the first delegation arrived for the Autumn Equinox meeting. The Southern Water Tribe was close to the Southern Air Temple, so they arrived first. They brought a woman with them: their contribution to the repopulation of the Air Nomads.

Aang was curious about her at first because she shared his wife's ethnicity. The woman seemed to be several years older than him, perhaps in her mid-twenties. But while she shared Katara's crystal blue eyes, chocolate hair, and dark complexion, she wasn't as beautiful or striking as Katara was. All and all, she was rather plain, which suited Aang just fine.

He was polite and kind to her and the delegates, bowing to them and welcoming them to the Southern Air Temple. Then he, Sokka, and Toph escorted them to empty rooms that they could use for the course of the meeting. Aang was secretly glad when Toph choose to escort the woman herself.

* * *

Zuko and the Earth Kingdom delegates arrived at the Air Temple on the same day. The Earth Kingdom delegates brought with them two beautiful Earth Kingdom women.

It seemed that as soon as the Earth Kingdom delegates were settled, Zuko and his wife arrived, followed by two Fire Nation women.

"Zuko!" Aang smiled happily, embracing his friend. "Welcome back to the Southern Air Temple."

"It's good to be back here again." Zuko said. The Firelord noticed that Aang had what could very well be his final growth spurt. They were eye-to-eye now. Zuko sighed. He missed the good old days when Aang was still a child and barely reached his shoulders.

Sokka moved over to the women. "Would you like me to take you to your rooms?"

One of the girls followed Sokka, but the other remained.

Aang was a little shocked that this woman's appearance. All the other women picked seemed to come from middle to low-upper class families. Aang could tell this woman was nobility, maybe even a member of the Royal family.

"Aang, this is my cousin Nera, on my mother's side." Zuko introduced.

"So… she's descended from Avatar Roku too?" Aang asked.

"Yes." Nera said. "Avatar Roku was my great-grandfather." She bowed. "I would be honored to serve you, Avatar Aang."

"Oh? Thank you. But I am the one who is honored that someone on noble birth like yourself would answer the calls of my people."

"While I've never met my great-grandfather, I know of him. He lived to see the world at peace. I've lived in a war torn world for so long, I would love to see the world at peace once more."

"I will do my best to make your wish a reality." Aang said. "Toph, could you escort Zuko, Mai, and the Lady to their rooms?"

"No problem, Twinkletoes. Going to go check on Katara?"

"Yeah." Aang said, sounding contrite. Zuko could tell from his tone of voice that Toph had caught him doing something stupid, and had been caught before. Zuko just didn't know what Aang had done.

"Twinkletoes, I've told you a thousand times, Sugar Queen is _fine_! She doesn't need you hovering over her twenty-four seven and having panic attacks every time she sneezes!" Toph lectured him.

Now Zuko understood. Aang was the nervous, hovering, overprotective new father. And, seeing how independent Katara was, he was probably getting on her nerves a lot lately.

Aang blushed. "But I can't help but worry. We're talking about the safety of my unborn child here."

"Aang, Aang, I'm sure Katara's gonna be fine. She's not exactly helpless." Zuko said. "Now I suggest you calm down. It's gonna be a lot harder for you to hover when you've got up to six women in three different nations to hover over." Zuko saw Aang's smile fade. "Oh. Nera, you go with Toph. You too, Mai. I need to talk to Aang a little longer." Mai and Nera nodded and followed Toph away. "I can understand why you're not pleased with this arrangement." Zuko said. "I could only imagine how I would feel if I were being forced to bed someone other than my wife."

Aang shrugged, still frowning. "It's for the good of the entire world. If I don't put the good of the world first at all times, I'll forfeit my control over the Avatar State. Some days, it seems like the Avatar State would be a small price to pay."

"That would be a bad idea." Zuko said seriously. "You need the Avatar State in case something big ever happens again."

"I know." Aang said. "When I couldn't go into the Avatar State after your sister shot me with lightning, that's when I realized how important it was. I never could have defeated Ozai if I hadn't regained my ability to go into the Avatar State. I would have been killed. Believe me; I understand how important the Avatar State is more than anyone else."

"You could always close your eyes and pretend it's your wife." Zuko suggested.

"Thank you for your concern, Zuko." Aang said. "But you don't have to worry about me. I'll fulfill my duty, no matter how distasteful it is."

Zuko sighed heavily. "If you say so." He began to walk away. "I'll find my own way."

* * *

Two days later, the delegates from the Northern Water Tribe arrived with a single women in tow. All six women had gathered the day before the Autumn Equinox.

That day also marked the arrival of another surprise. The Grand Masters of the Order of the White Lotus arrived at the Southern Air Temple, with only Bumi missing.

Iroh, Master Pakku, Master Pinado, and Master Jeong-Jeong turned up unexpectedly.

"The Order of the White Lotus?" Aang bowed to them. "What brings you here?"

Iroh bowed back. "We are here to help mediate the meeting." He said. "Normally, you would be the mediator of the meeting since you are the only one able to represent the interests of the Air Nomad nation. But since you are so deeply involved in this particular manner, we will mediate in your place."

"Do you find this acceptable, Avatar Aang?" Master Pinado asked.

"Of course." Aang said. "You know the White Lotus has my support."

"Don't worry; we know that you are not too enthusiastic about this plan." Master Jeong-Jeong said. "We hope we've come up with some compromises that will make everyone happy."

"I'm sure it will." Aang said.

* * *

Unlike the other nations, the Air Temples had no massive council chamber. Each Temple was ran by an order of five monks or nuns which in turn were lead the by the eldest among them, the Head of the Order. These four Head monks and nuns then represented their entire culture. So the Sanctuary was big enough to house the Air Nomad leaders. Therefore the Air Nomads had never built a large chamber for the purpose. So Aang used the next best thing. The library was the largest and most impressive room in the Temple, so they could meet there.

Plus, Aang enjoyed seeing the looks of amazement on the delegate's faces everything they saw the vast collection of literature gathered over a millennia by the Air Nomads. The Air Nomad's collection of literature was unrivalled by the other cultures. Only Wan Se Tong's library surpassed it, and the library left the physical realm and returned to the Spirit World years ago.

Zuko walked close to Aang. "This room always gets to me. It's like seeing the Air Nomad's entire culture in a single room."

"Oh, it's not our entire culture by a long shot." Aang said. "This isn't even a quarter of our collected works."

"What?"

"The library at the Eastern Air Temple is twice as big." Aang said. "Maybe I'll take you and show you some day." Aang left Zuko, looking shocked.

Aang glanced around and saw his wife speaking with the Southern Water Tribe delegates, her delicate hands resting on her stomach.

Aang moved over to her quickly. "Katara, what are you doing here?" He asked quietly as to not cause a scene. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm fine, Aang." Katara said stiffly. "Grandpa Pakku asked me to come to the meeting today, so here I am."

"Here, at least let me get you a seat." Aang grabbed a chair and set it next to his own. "Do you need anything else?" The young Avatar asked anxiously as she sat down.

"I'm fine, Aang. Don't worry so much." Aang could have sworn he heard the other delegates laughing at him.

Once the Avatar was done entertaining everyone with his over-protectiveness, everyone took their seats, and Aang called order.

"As the Avatar, I turn over my right of mediation to Iroh of the Fire Nation, Jeong-Jeong of the Fire Nation, and Pakku of the Water Tribe." Aang sat down.

His statement caused some shock, but the Council quickly settled down.

The White Lotus quickly got down to business. "It is our understanding that this is the final meeting to discuss the Air Nomad repopulation plan which involves Avatar Aang, the last living Airbender, fathering children with volunteer non-bending women from the other nations. The nations have agreed to answer the plight of the Air Nomads?"

Firelord Zuko stood. "The plight of the Air Nomads is the Fire Nation's ultimate shame. We will support the Avatar."

"As does the Earth Kingdom."

"And the Water Tribes."

"Very good. Avatar Aang, if you will?" Iroh gestured, and Aang stood. "Do you agree to complete the duty given to you?"

Aang glanced briefly at his wife, and she gave him a look of encouragement. "I will." Aang said.

"Though love is not required of you, do you swear to treat all the women involved with the proper respect due to their sacrifice?"

"I will."

"Do you agree to let the mother have custody of your children until they are three years old and they can be tested for Airbending powers, with the knowledge that you will always be allowed to visit your children?"

"I agree."

"At three years, the children will be officially examined for Airbending powers. If they are found to have Airbending powers, custody will transfer to you and they will be moved to the Southern Air Temple where they will commence their Airbending training under you. You will allow their biological mothers to see their children at any time. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

"If the children are found to not have Airbending powers, they will remain with their mothers unless she freely gives up the child to you. You will always be allowed to see these children. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

"Do you swear to treat all your children as equals, and not differentiate between the children born to you by your wife and those children born to you by other women?"

"I will."

"And, just as the women involved will be expected to respect the boundaries of your marriage, do you agree to respect the boundaries of their marriages?"

"I agree."

"Are the nations pleased with the Avatar's vows?" The leaders nodded. Aang sat down, letting out a long breath.

"Will Lady Katara, wife of the Avatar, now stand?" Pakku asked gently.

"Actually, if it is all right with the Council, I'd rather stay sitting." Katara rubbed her expanded stomach for emphasis.

"It's all right." Pakku said. "Lady Katara, are you aware of exactly what your husband is expected to do?"

"Yes."

"And you freely support this plan?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you promise to support your husband and to help him raise his children though they will not be yours?"

"I will."

"Will you treat the women involved with respect and not with jealousy?"

"I will."

"Will you assist in helping your husband pass on the Air Nomad culture? To learn from him and, in turn, teach the Air Nomad's culture to his children?"

"I will."

"Very good. And, Katara, if I may add as your Grandfather, I'm very happy for you." Pakku finished.

"Thank you." Katara responded.

"Now, will all the women involved please step forward?" Iroh spoke. The women did so, after exchanging glances. "Are you satisfied with the vows made by Avatar Aang and his wife?"

"Yes." The women answered.

"No one has forced you to take part in this plan? Do you stand before me of your own free will?"

"Yes."

"Do you agree to respect the boundaries of the Avatar's marriage as he agreed to respect the boundaries of your marriages?"

"We will."

"Will you treat the Avatar and his wife, Lady Katara, with due respect?"

"We will."

"Do you understand the terms of custody as we outlined them for Avatar Aang?"

"We understand."

"The Avatar will instruct you all in what signs of Airbending to look for in the child. In the three years the child is yours, you will watch for signs of Airbending. Do you understand that if you lie about the child's abilities, you will lose your rights to your compensation and the Avatar will gain sole custody of the child?"

"We understand."

"Does the Council agree with the vows made by those involved?"

The delegates nodded.

"Then the plan to repopulate the Air Nomads shall begin at the Avatar's digression." Iroh said.

Aang sighed and slumped slightly in his seat. It was done.

* * *

The meeting took the rest of the afternoon, but Aang sort of wished that it would last longer.

He could feel Lady Nera's eyes on him through the rest of the meeting, and it made him nervous. Of course, he'd had more than his share of fangirls, and he knew how to deal with them. But this time was different. He wasn't going to ever have sex with his random fangirls. Also, he knew that she would probably demand the first night, and as the highest ranking woman there, it was within her rights to demand it.

He had asked Zuko about her during the last few days, and found out that she was married to a nobleman old enough to be her father, and all ready had two children with him. They had gotten married during Zuko's banishment, so he did not know a lot about their relationship.

As soon as the meeting was over, Aang focused his attention on his wife, hoping that it would deter the other women under the terms of the vows they had taken.

"Katara?"

Katara gazed at him. "I know what's going through your mind." She said. Aang offered her an arm for support as they left the library and walked a short distance down the hallway. "Are you all right?"

"To be honest, I'm more worried about you." Aang confessed. "This is a _duty_ to me, so I will do it. But I want you to understand that I _love_ you." He kissed her tenderly. "These women cannot change that because I love you too much, with all my heart and soul." He kissed her again. "I guess what I really want is your forgiveness. Forgive me, my love."

Katara embraced his as tightly as she could with her pregnancy. "I forgive you, Aang."

Aang returned her embrace, and whispered in her ear. "I'll always return to you. I'll come back to you tonight." He slowly pulled out of her embrace, and walked purposefully back towards the library where the rest of the delegates were emerging. She watched at Aang approached Zuko's cousin and exchanged a few words with her. After a few moments, she bowed to him and followed him away from the library.

Katara sighed. So it began. She did forgive her husband. She knew that Aang despised the situation as much as she did. It was the Earth King that Katara felt unwilling to forgive.

* * *

Katara was nearly asleep when Aang returned to their room. She sat up. "Aang?"

Without a word, the young Avatar walked across the room and slipped into bed with her. He pulled her into an embrace. His skin was wet under her fingers but not with sweat. Katara realized that he must've stopped by the hot spring on his way backs. She could understand why.

So she simply held him. "I love you, Aang. I love you." She repeated, kissing him.

Aang pulled away from her slightly, gazing at her with sad grey eyes. "You've always been stronger than me, Katara."

Neither one slept or said another word throughout the entire night. Katara could only hold her husband and give him what emotional support she could.

* * *

It took less than a week, and Aang had completed his duty for the moment. The women all went back to their native nations.

They had all given their word that they would contact the Avatar within three months to let him know if they were pregnant.

Aang tallied up the months mentally. That meant he would be finding out if these women became pregnant around the time Katara would give birth to his firstborn.


	16. The Miracle of Life

**LES: Yeah for clichéd titles!!! What is the reference book needed for any childbirth scene, besides real-life experience of which I have none? A health textbook. My health textbook was my bible writing this chapter. I just wish that it had a little bit more info on male puberty. I mean, seriously, TWO PAGES are devoted to female puberty, and ONE EIGHT-LINE PARAGRAPH is all that is devoted to male puberty. Sure, help me know what happens during female puberty. It's not like I LIVED through it or anything. And give me next to no info on male puberty because I totally have an intimate knowledge of what happens to boys going through puberty. Smart move. (thumbs up) Still, I guess the knowledge they did give me was workable. Oh well, you can't have everything in life.**

**Chapter XVI: The Miracle of Life**

* * *

The months passed, and the entire Temple seems to celebrate the Season of Air by taking on the Air Nomad colors: red, orange, and golden yellow.

Katara was now a full nine months pregnant, so she knew that the baby would be coming soon. Very soon, in fact, since the baby had sunk lower in her body in preparation for birth, changing her profile noticeably.

In the last few weeks, she had been too sore and tired to do much of anything besides sit outside and enjoy the autumn breeze on her skin.

She was a Waterbender, so her favorite season would always be winter, but she could understand the Air Nomad's love for autumn. For a people so deeply connected to the Air, the autumn breeze would feel so amazing.

Her hands rested on her swollen abdomen and she felt the child kick inside her.

"You like autumn too, huh?" Katara spoke. "I guess you really will be an Airbender. The world will be happy, and rightly so. But I think your father will be happier than anyone. He's been on his own, the last of his culture, for so long. I think he'll be happy to have an Airbender to train. And even happier that you are his son or daughter." She sighed. "And me? I'll be happy when you are outside me and I finally get to meet you. Nine months is a long time to wait." She paused. "Boy or girl, I hope you have your father's eyes. Grey eyes with just a hint of silver. I've always loved your father's eyes."

"Oh really?" Katara looked around slightly. Aang was standing in the doorway. He moved closer towards her. "My eyes? Is that what you love about me? What about my irresistible charm and dashing good looks?"

Katara chuckled. "I love those things about you too. Though I must say your charm peaked around thirteen."

Aang laughed in embarrassment. Thirteen had been a particularly awkward age for him. That was when puberty really kicked in. His voice had started to change, and his voice started cracking at the worst moments, without fail. That led to a lot of awkward moments when he gave speeches at diplomatic meetings. After all, it must've been hard to take someone seriously when their voice cracked every other sentence. He also had his first growth spurt, shooting up several inches almost over-night. It had thrown off his coordination and made him more prone to tripping, tumbling, and stumbling over his own feet. He spent more time during his thirteenth year sprawled on the ground after a fall than on his feet. The sudden growth had also made him ache all over. Katara had called them Growing Pains and gave him weekly healing sessions to help him.

"Are you kidding? Thirteen was a terrible year! I must've looked like such a dork."

"Well, dork or not, I thought you were charming." Katara said. "You were thirteen when we began to date publically."

"I remember. No one could understand what you saw in me, besides being the Avatar." Aang said. "I was two years younger than you, shorter, less experienced, and a total klutz that spent more time sprawled at your feet than by your side."

"I happen to know a lot of those girls regretted thinking those things about you seeing the handsome man you've become. But it's too late now, because you are mine." Katara noticed he was holding a sheaf of parchment. "What is that?"

"It's the final letter, for Zuko's cousin." Aang said. "She's pregnant."

"So, all in all, that means five out of six of the women conceived? That's a pretty high success rate." Katara said. "Maybe the Spirits have something to do with this."

"Not as far as I know." Aang said, shrugging. "How are you feeling, Katara?"

"Tired and sore." Katara said. "And my lower back hurts a little."

"Here, scoot forward." Katara obeyed him, and he took a place behind her and began rubbing her lower back.

Katara released a small sigh of pleasure. "Mmm… You're too good to me, Aang."

"I'm just doing my job as your husband." Aang said modestly. For several minutes, he rubbed her back in silence, and then he spoke. "It's going to be soon, isn't it?"

"Very soon." Katara answered.

"I can't say how proud I am of you." Aang said. "I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you, Katara."

"Save your pride until after the baby is born." Katara said.

Aang chuckled. "Okay, I will."

Several minutes later, Katara's massage was interrupted by the arrival of Hakoda on the balcony.

"Good afternoon, Chief Hakoda." Aang said brightly.

"Hi, Dad." Katara said, and noticed that Aang had stopped rubbing her upon Hakoda's entrance. "Aang?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Aang went back to work on the task at hand.

"Katara, how are you feeling today?" Just like Hakoda promised, he had come up from the South Pole to be there for his daughter during the birth of his first grandchild. In fact, he had just arrived the day before yesterday with two midwives for Katara in tow.

"Tired, and sore, and achy." Katara said. "The sooner this pregnancy is over, the better."

Hakoda looked her over. "Well, you won't have to worry about that much longer. Your stomach's dropped. It should be soon, days at the most."

"I know." Katara said. "I've helped Gran-Gran deliver babies before, you know."

"And you helped that woman at the Serpent's Pass." Aang reminded her.

"Oh yeah." Katara said. "I wonder whatever happened to Hope. She should be about seven by now."

"If you want, we can go check on her after the baby is born. I'm sure people would be willing to help me find her family since I'm the Avatar." Aang said.

"I'd like that." Katara sighed.

"I'll tell the midwives to be ready at any time." Hakoda volunteered. He left the couple alone to their quiet contemplation.

* * *

It was a quite night at the Southern Air Temple, but not for long. Katara suddenly sat up in her bad, gasping, and clutching her stomach. "Now?" She asked quietly. "You're all ready causing me to lose sleep."

She glanced over at her husband, who was undisturbed by her movement. He had been banished to the edge of the bed for some time, which explained why he didn't notice anything amiss.

She shoved Aang's shoulder lightly. "Aang… Aang, get up." Katara spoke quietly.

"Huh?" Aang stirred slightly. "It's the middle of the night, Katara. Go back to sleep."

"I wish I could." Katara said. "Aang, it's time."

"Time for what?" Aang asked tiredly, starting to drift back to sleep.

"Aang! The baby!" Katara got louder, since she started to lose her patience with him. Another sharp pain tore through her lower abdomen and she groaned.

That finally seemed to wake the Avatar up. He sat up. "Now?"

"Well, not _now_ now, but soon." Katara said. "Quick, go get the midwives." Katara had barely gotten the sentence out before he took off out the door.

Katara scooted herself up until she was in a slightly reclined position on the bed. Her contractions weren't that bad now, but she knew that they would only get worse the further into the process she got. And since this was her first child, her labor was likely to be long and drawn out.

* * *

Aang found that one of the midwives was actually awake in the middle of the night. He was about to ask why she was up, but he quickly stopped. He wouldn't put it past Hakoda to ask that one of them be awake at all times.

The midwife looked up at his entrance. "Avatar Aang? Is the Lady…?"

"Katara's gone into labor." Aang reported to her. "She asked me to come get you."

"Yes, of course. At once." The midwife followed him out the door and back to his and Katara's room.

On the way back, they ran into Toph. "What's going on, Twinkletoes? Why are you running around like a rooster-duck with its head cut off in the middle of the night?"

"Katara's gone into labor." Aang told her. "But you should go back to sleep. It's probably not going to happen until tomorrow; and just because I won't be able to sleep doesn't mean you should be deprived as well."

"Twinkletoes, I've heard a woman give birth before, at the Serpent's Pass. No one could sleep through that, except maybe Snoozles." Toph said. "Since I'm up, I might as well help."

Aang sighed. "Okay. Could you go get Katara's father? But leave Sokka alone. The less time he has to be freaked out, the better."

"You don't need to tell me." Toph said, taking off.

Aang and the midwife got to his and Katara's room to find his wife reclining against the pillows, panting slightly.

Aang rushed over to her side. "Katara, do you need anything?"

Katara grabbed his hand as she groaned. "Just stay with me, Aang."

"I promise. I will." Aang promised.

The midwife busied herself by organizing the tools of her trade, and then she settled down to wait. Odds were it would be many hours before Katara was ready to give birth.

The midwife had just settled down when Toph and Hakoda came into the room.

Hakoda moved to Katara's side that wasn't occupied by her husband. "Katara, how are you doing?"

"Just fine, Dad." Katara said sarcastically. "Toph, what are you doing here? You should go back to sleep because this baby probably won't be coming tonight."

"Yes." The midwife agreed. "Since this is her first child, it won't happen until tomorrow afternoon."

"Psh!" Toph snorted. "Like I'll be able to sleep through all the noise. I might as well stay here and help if I can." Toph said for the second time.

"If you want." Katara said with a groan, which turned into an embarrassed moan.

"What? What happened?" Aang asked, distressed.

"I'm sorry, Aang. I just ruined our sheets." Katara said to the confused Avatar. "My water broke."

"Your _what_ broke?" Aang asked, confused. "Is this something that happens to Waterbenders?"

Everyone in the room was once again reminded that Aang grew up in a fully male environment at the Southern Air Temple, so he probably knew next-to-nothing about the process of birth.

"It happens to all women." The midwife took it upon herself to explain. "Inside the womb, the baby is surrounded by fluid to protect it. When labor starts, the fluid is released. That is what we call the water breaking. It means that this is true labor. The baby is coming. And it does, unfortunately, mean that your sheets are ruined, Lord Avatar."

"Sheets can be replaced." Aang said tensely.

* * *

Morning slowly crept over the Southern Air Temple, but in one room, it seemed an eternity had passed instead of just a few hours.

As the hours passed, Katara's groans of pain only seemed to grow more intense. Aang, Hakoda, and Toph all did what they could. Aang simply held her, whispering words of comfort and encouragement in her ear. Hakoda busied himself with wiping the sweat off Katara's face, also giving his own words of encouragement. And Toph employed her talents best as a lookout for Sokka.

"Augh!" Katara cried out, gripping hard onto Aang's hand. "Aang, I swear on the Spirits, you'd better get used to having children with other women because you are _never_ touching me again!"

Hakoda caught Aang's eyes, and the young Avatar remembered their talk months ago. Specifically the two pieces of advice that Hakoda had given him for the birth: don't take Katara's threats seriously and don't look.

"Um… bad news, guys." Toph spoke up. "Sokka's coming."

A few tense moments passed, and Katara let out a long, drawn out moan of pain.

There was a knock on the door. "Hey! Keep it quiet in there! You two know the rules! What other people are awake, keep quiet!"

Apparently, Sokka had mistaken Katara's moan of pain for a moan of pleasure.

"Uh, that's not what's going on in here, Snoozles." Toph said through the door.

"What the…? Aang, is _Toph_ in there too? What the…?" Sokka opened the door and froze in place. He slowly processed the scene: Katara panting and straining on the bed, Aang and Hakoda at her sides, and Toph with one of the midwives off to the side. Without a word, he turned and walked out.

"Toph." Aang said. Toph realized what he wanted her to do without him saying it, so she took off after Sokka.

Katara cried out in pain again. "Aang! Get this baby out of me, _NOW_!"

* * *

Toph managed to chase down Sokka. "Sokka, what's wrong?"

"She's having the baby. I can't be in there now." Sokka said.

"She's not having the baby right _now_!" Toph said. "She's been in labor since midnight, and there's still plenty more hours until she gives birth. You should be there for her."

"Midnight? Oh my Spirits… Katara…" Sokka moaned. "Why didn't anyone come wake me up?"

"Because we knew you'd freak out." Toph said. "Besides, nothing's happened yet. It's been almost boring."

"But I can't see… I can't handle…"

"Look, the midwife is going to kick everyone but Aang out when the time comes anyway, so you won't see anything." Toph said. "She's your little sister, and she's in pain."

That seemed to do it. Sokka turned and purposefully walked back to Aang and Katara's room. After all, for all his faults, Sokka loved his sister.

Toph went to find Suki to let her know what was happening.

* * *

Sokka and Suki stayed in the room, but it did little to ease her pain. It only seemed to grow worse and more consuming as the long day wore on. As Hakoda predicted, her threats towards Aang became increasingly violent. And then, just a little after noon, when she had been in labor for over twelve hours, she glared at the Avatar.

"Aang, UGH! I'm going to _kill_ you! I'm going to kill you for doing this to me! AUGH! And then I'm going to hunt down your reincarnations and kill them too!"

"Wow. That one was pretty good." Toph commented. She had amused herself during the last few hours by admiring Katara's skills at threatening Aang.

The midwife stood and checked on Katara's progress with a lift of the blankets that covered her lower body to preserve her modesty. "It looks like it's time." She glanced around the room. "Can everyone except the Avatar clear the room?" Sokka was the first out the door, followed by everyone else.

Aang felt Katara tremble, but he wasn't surprised. He was shaking too, scared out of his mind. The only reason he wasn't going into the Avatar State now was because the past Avatars realized why he was so stressed and knew that not all stressful situations required their assistance.

"Now?" Katara asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes. It's almost over, Lady Katara. Soon, you'll be able to hold your child for the first time."

Katara glanced at Aang, all of her previous anger seemingly forgotten. "Aang, I'm scared!"

"I know." Aang avoided adding that he was scared too. "But you are strong, Katara. The strongest woman I know. Just focus on our baby. Our baby's almost here!"

"Now, push!" The midwife urged.

Katara grit her teeth, bearing down on the pain. Her hand that gripped Aang's hand tightened unbearably. But Aang resisted the urge to voice his pain. After all, Katara was in a sort of pain that he would never know.

Several minutes passed with Katara alternating between pushing and resting from the enormous effort of bringing a new life into the world.

At the end of the last push, Katara screamed in pain, nearly stopping Aang's heart.

"I know." The midwife said sympathetically. "But the baby is crowning. You're doing great, Lady Katara."

Aang recognized the word 'crowning' from his crash-course lessons in birth during Katara's labor. It meant the baby's head was visible. His eyes began to drift downwards, but he realized what he was doing and stopped. He focused back on Katara. _Don't look!_ Aang reminded himself. _Don't look!_

Katara had tears streaming down her face. "Aang… it hurts so much…"

"You're almost there. You're doing so great! Just a little longer!" Aang said, having no idea what he was saying. He honestly didn't know _if_ she was doing great, or _if_ she was almost done.

It took several more minutes of agonizing waiting before something else happened. At the end of another push, the midwife announced. "That's the head. One more big push for the shoulders, Lady Katara."

Katara cried out as she bore down one last time. With the combined effort of Katara and the midwife, the small infant was coaxed free of its mother.

Katara let out a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh and collapsed back on the pillows, panting with exhaustion.

The midwife set to work instantly on the newborn. She used a simple Waterbending move to clear the infant's mouth and nose of fluid.

Aang collapsed on the ground in a relieved heap. It was over. Nine months of waiting, and his first child had finally been born.

He stood on slightly shaky legs and pressed several light kisses to Katara's sweaty forehead. "You were amazing, Katara. Amazing."

Katara was clearly exhausted, but she seemed anxious. "The baby?"

As soon as she spoke, a glorious sound filled the room: cries. Their newborn's first cries!

The midwife finished washing the infant and wrapped the newborn in a soft blanket. She turned towards the new parents. "Avatar Aang and Lady Katara, you have a healthy young boy."

"A boy!" Both new parents repeated amazed.

The midwife passed the precious bundle to his father, and went to assist Katara with the much easier delivery of the afterbirth.

Aang could do nothing except stare at his son… his _son_, in amazement. His skin tone was a perfect mixture of his and Katara's skin colors: darker than his, but lighter than Katara's. Though his tiny face was red with the force of his first cries. Aang gently pulled the blanket away from the newborn's head to get a better look.

The infant already had a small amount of soft, downy hair: black hair. Just like his own hair when he grew it out.

"Aang." Katara called.

"He's perfect." Aang whispered reverently. He carefully wrapped the infant again in the blanket and moved over to the bed and sat down next to his wife, showing her the infant.

"Oh, Aang… he's perfect." Katara said, carefully taking the newborn from him.

Aang leaned closer and kissed his wife's forehead, hoping that Hakoda was right about her forgetting about threatening to kill him if he ever touched her again. Apparently, she had, because she turned to give him a proper kiss.

"I love you, Katara." Aang whispered.

"I love you too." Katara replied.

They both gazed at their newborn, who slowly calmed down enough to open his eyes. When he did, Katara nearly burst into tears.

The child had clear grey eyes, just like his father. "Grey eyes." Katara whispered. "Just like his daddy." She gently caressed the newborn's cheek. The infant reached up clumsily and gripped onto her finger.

She gazed over at her husband. It had been a long time since she had seen him so happy. He was wearing his wonderful smile that went practically from ear to ear; and she could see that he was crying tears of joy.

"Avatar Aang, Lady Katara, do you want to me to let in your family and friends now?" The midwife asked.

"Yes." Katara answered.

The midwife bowed briefly and then stepped out the door. "You can come in now." She informed the group waiting outside the door.

"It's over?" Sokka asked.

"Yes, I can tell it's over." Toph said. "So you don't have to worry about fainting like an old lady."

"Haha." Sokka said sarcastically.

Hakoda, Sokka, Suki, and Toph stepped into the room, grinning brightly at the new parents.

Aang was the first one to speak. "It's a boy!"

Hakoda moved over to Katara's side, gazing down at his first grandson. "He's beautiful, Katara."

Sokka and Suki were next. "Geez, why do all newborns look squishy?"

Toph punched Sokka in the arm. "That's _your_ nephew you're talking about."

Katara ignored her brother, pulling back the soft blanket that covered the child's head and also noticed the boy's soft black hair.

"Black hair." Katara commented, turning towards her husband. "Just like your hair was when it grew out. And grey eyes, too? He takes a lot after you."

"There's a superstition in the Earth Kingdom." Suki began. "They say if a child looks like their father, then the mother is completely in love with her husband."

"That sounds about right." Katara said, smiling at her husband.

"So, do you have a name?" Hakoda asked.

"No." Aang answered. "Not yet. But I've been thinking about it."

"And how are you feeling, Katara?" Sokka asked.

Katara sighed. "Tired… and hungry."

"Well, I say that a feast is in order to celebrate the birth of Aang and Katara's firstborn son." Hakoda said.

"Good idea!" Suki said enthusiastically. "I'll help. I think I'm starting to figure out the Air Nomad recipes Aang uses."

"You just rest, dear. We'll take care of everything." Hakoda kissed Katara's forehead. The rest of the group left.

Katara settled back, and the small infant began to fuss, kicking at the blanket that bundled him.

"Hungry?" Katara whispered. She lowered her gown on one side to expose her breast. Judging by the enthusiasm at which the child latched on, he was very hungry.

As he watched, Aang was struck once again at how amazing women were. It only took a woman nine months to create a new life. And, once that life was born, a woman's body provided food for the new life.

Aang smiled to himself. "That's one tradition that can go."

"What?"

"The celibacy thing." Aang said. "Monks respect all life, and yet they denied themselves the greatest of life's miracles. Creating new life… that is the greatest thing we humans can ever do. No one should be denied that."

"Okay." Katara agreed.

* * *

**LES: A very long chapter by any means! I still haven't 100% approved the name for Aang and Katara's son, but I'll get there.**


	17. Anil

**LES: 'Anil' was the very first possible Aang baby name I ever found, so it makes sense that it should be used for his first child. Also, it's one of the few that I **_**think**_** I can pronounce right.**

**Anil: A Hindi name that means "air, wind".**

**Chapter XVII: Anil**

* * *

Though it was nearing winter in the Fire Nation, it certainly didn't feel like it. Winter didn't exist in the Fire Nation because of the year-around heat at the equator.

Zuko sighed heavily. He had just spent the entire afternoon arguing with his wife. Mai always accompanied him on his travels to the other nations, but she always refused to travel with him to the Northern Water Tribe for the Winter Solstice Meeting. She couldn't stand the cold and the snow.

Their first year of marriage, she had put her foot down, and he was yet unable to sway her.

He sat on the throne, rubbing his temples. To think: at one time he would have given anything to see Mai fiery or passionate about anything. Now she was passionate about telling him that she wouldn't go to a frozen wasteland like the North Pole with him in a million years.

Zuko didn't notice one of his servants walk into the throne room. "Firelord Zuko?" Zuko looked around as the messenger bowed. "A message has arrived for you by messenger hawk. I believe it is from the Avatar."

Zuko stood up. "It has been over nearly nine months since the meeting at Ba Sing Se. I believe I know what it's about." Zuko took the message from the messenger. "As I guessed… a week ago, the Avatar's wife, Lady Katara, bore him a son. Go and spread the word. This is a great day for the whole world." The messenger bowed and left.

Zuko glanced at the message in his hands. The first page was a formal announcement, but the second was a letter addressed to him personally. While the announcement was written with Aang's neat calligraphy, the letter was written in an untidy scrawl.

'_Zuko, I'm a daddy!_

_It's a boy, and Katara and I decided to name him Anil in honor of his Air Nomad heritage. Hopefully, he'll be an Airbender and it will fit._

_He takes a lot after me: black hair and grey eyes. (Oh, you never saw me with hair, did you?) His skin color is a mixture between mine and Katara's._

_I'm still getting used to being a parent. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in days. Neither has Katara or Toph. Toph keeps threatening to move back in with her parents. So we all know she's nearing the end of her rope, because we all know how she feels about her parents._

_Speaking of children, Suki's pregnant now. What's taking you so long, Zuko? You were the first of the old gang to get married, but there's no Princes or Princesses on the way?_

_I'm shocked that we're not all knee-deep in yours and Mai's children by now, because we all know how much she loves you. After all, you are the only person I've ever seen make her smile._

_So, how is Lady Nera doing? I feel strange asking, but she is carrying my child. I can't help but worry._

_I have to go now. Anil's crying and Katara's asleep. I should go see what's wrong before he wakes her._

_I'll see you at the Winter Solstice meeting, though Katara and Anil will have to stay behind at the Southern Air Temple this time. Katara's still recovering from giving birth and Anil's too small to travel._

_Avatar Aang'_

Zuko set down the letter, smiling. Aang was the father to what sounded like a beautiful son. This certainly was worthy of a celebration. As the descendant of an Avatar himself, Zuko knew how important Aang's children would be to the world. And their importance would double automatically if they were Airbenders.

Zuko wondered if it was too late to petition that the meeting place be changed from the Northern Water Tribe to the Southern Tribe. If the meeting was at the Southern Water Tribe, it would be easy for Zuko to stop at the Southern Air Temple to visit. But, as it was, his visit was probably going to have to wait until after the Winter Solstice.

He glanced up when someone entered the Throne Room; his wife, Mai.

"Zuko, what's going on?" Mai asked.

"We got a letter from the Southern Air Temple." Zuko said. "Katara has given birth. Avatar Aang has a son."

"Really? That is good news." Mai said. "What did they name him?"

"Anil." Zuko answered.

"What sort of name is that?"

Zuko shrugged. "It's probably an Air Nomad name. In his letter Aang mentioned that he hoped he would be an Airbender so that it would fit."

"I suppose. Aang is the only Air Nomad we've ever met, and we're used to his name. So, we're having a celebration?"

"Aang is not just the Avatar to me, he's a friend." Zuko said. "That birth of my friend's firstborn son is as good a reason to celebrate as any."

"Mai sighed. "Very well." She leaned forward and kissed him. "You know I hate parties. I only put up with them because I love you." Zuko smiled at her, and they left the Throne Room to attend to overseeing the party preparations.

* * *

At the Southern Air Temple, the party had finished, but now everyone's nerves were getting frayed. Only Aang and Katara seemed to be holding themselves together for the love of their son. But there was no denying one simple fact: Anil was surprisingly loud for such a small infant, and he could cry all night long.

Toph and Suki probably suffered the worse. Toph had always been sensitive to sounds and vibrations. She had saved them from midnight ambushed many times during their travels. But now, that sensitivity was working against her. A week after Anil's birth, she started yelling at Aang that he'd better shut his wailing brat up soon, or she would start chucking rocks at his head.

Suki was doing pretty poorly. She was six months pregnant with her own child and in a bad mood anyway. She knew that she would have to get used to the sleepless nights once she had her own child, but she was exhausted now, and wanted her rest. However, unlike Toph, Suki took her frustration out on Sokka.

Aang wouldn't lie. He felt dead on his feet. He hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep the last day. He hadn't had a quiet moment to meditate since his son was born, and he desperately missed the calm of mind that his silent contemplation brought him.

But, despite all that, he loved his newborn son unconditionally.

Anile was quiet now, and Katara was resting. But Aang forgave her for all the naps she took during the day. Katara had been the one who was strong during her pregnancy and childbirth. Now it was time for him to be the strong one.

He moved slowly through the open halls of the Temple, holding his son, and humming a soft Air Nomad song. He would have sung an Air Nomad lullaby, but he didn't know any. So he sang a different song.

_"I hear a baby crying_

_A sad sound, a lonely sound._

_I want to take him in my arms_

_And then I dry away all his tears._

_I see a boy who's frightened._

_A young boy with old eyes._

_I long to say 'You're welcome here_

_You can be happy now that you're warm'._

_We're all a part of one world._

_We all can share the same dreams._

_And if you just reach out to me_

_Then you will find_

_Deep down inside_

_I'm just like you."_

"Aang?" A voice spoke. Aang looked around. It was Toph.

"Oh. Good afternoon, Toph." Aang said quietly.

"Was that _you_ singing?" Toph asked, sounding a little amazed.

Aang blushed. "Uh, yeah. I'm not very good, though."

"Actually, it sounded really good to me." Toph said. "Or were you using Airbending to cheat?"

"No." Aang said. "I'm not very good at that aspect of Airbending. A real Air Nomad singer could sing so beautifully it could drive people to tears." Aang said.

"Okay, so maybe your singing voice sucks compared to that, but most people alive have never heard an Air Nomad singer." Toph said "Believe me, you sound great. So, what were you singing? It sounded too serious to be a lullaby."

"I know. I don't know any Air Nomad lullabies." Aang said. "It's an old Air Nomad song that I've always loved. I didn't discover why I liked it so much until I found out that I was the Avatar."

"Why?"

"It's called 'One World', and it's about looking past superficial differences and learning that everyone and everything at its core is the same."

"I see, so as the Avatar, you'd like a song that spoke of a world unified." Toph said.

"Exactly." Aang said, gazing down at his son. "I want Anil to grow up in a world like the one I grew up in. Free of conflict and war."

"Well, luckily for him, his dad happens to be the one person who can make that happen." Toph said.

Aang sighed. "Toph, I know this is hard for you. I'll be travelling to the North Pole soon. Would you like me to… take you somewhere?"

Toph shook her head. "Are you suggesting I abandon you, Twinkletoes? I've stuck by you through worse. It'll take more than a loud baby to change that."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, I'm sure, Twinkletoes. It's not like the kid is purposefully trying to keep us up all night." Toph said. "So, how are you holding up, Dad? You and Katara are probably getting less sleep than the rest of us."

"Actually, Katara is getting plenty of sleep. She's still recovering, so she's very tired. I'm the one not getting sleep. But I don't mind so much anymore. Anil is worth it."

Toph smiled to herself. She knew thought they'd be able to find someone that Aang loved as much as he loved Katara. But, even now, Toph was getting all the physical cues she used to associate with Aang and Katara. One thing was for sure, Aang was overflowing with love for his son.

Aang continued to walk, and Toph joined him. After a few moments, Aang spoke again. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you somewhere? In three months, there will be two babies here at the Temple."

"Remember how I said it would take more than one loud baby to send me away? Well, two might just do it. But I'll stick around 'til then and I won't go far." Toph said. "Face it, Twinkletoes. You'd be lost without me."

Aang chuckled quietly. "I certainly would." Together, they walked out onto a balcony where Appa was eating his breakfast. "Hey there, Appa." The massive Sky Bison's big dark eyes fell on Aang and he gave the young Avatar an uncommonly excited greeting. "I know." Aang responded. "I'm sorry that I couldn't visit you recently. I've been busy."

Toph watched the exchange, wondering once again if Aang and Appa could understand each other. As far as she could tell, no physical cues were exchanged between the two. But, still, most of their conversations seemed to go beyond Aang reading his Bison's moods or Appa knowing a few commands. It was like they shared a spiritual connection that went beyond their barriers of language and species. It kind of reminded Toph of her relationship with the Badgermoles who taught her Earthbending.

Not many people still lived that remembered that these special animals: the Sky Bison, Dragons, and Badgermoles were the people's companions and familiars, but no longer. The Dragons and Sky Bison were nearly extinct, and most Badgermoles had become wild, retreating to their tunnels to avoid the fate of the Sky Bison and Dragons.

Appa bound forward, but Aang took a protective step back. His first and foremost instinct was to protect his son. Toph was ready to intervene on Aang's behalf when Appa slid to a halt before Aang. The massive Sky Bison sniffed the air and created a small gust of wind.

Aang couldn't be sure if it was because he felt the disturbance in the air or if the gust had simply been strong enough to wake him, but Anil awoke with a cry.

Appa's ears faced forward and focused on the child's cries. Aang smiled when he saw the understanding in Appa's eyes. The Sky Bison knew the importance of this child.

"Appa, this is my son, Anil. I'm a father now." Aang said, presenting the child to the Bison.

Toph observed the scene with her Earthbending vision. Next to Appa's massive, fuzzy form; the newborn was tiny. And yet Appa moved with supreme gentleness, touched the newborn with the tip of his wet nose, and released a soft purr that caused the air to vibrate.

Toph's only knowledge about the Air Nomad culture came from Aang, either with questions or simple observation. She also knew that Aang was not a representative of his entire culture, but a small percentage of it. But she could tell that something deeply spiritual was going on between Aang, Appa, and Anil.

Finally, the air stopped vibrating as the infant touched Appa's wet nose and shrieked with amusement.

"Aang, what was all that about?" Toph asked.

Aang cradled his son against his chest, but it was clear that Anil was not finished playing with Appa, judging by how the child reached imploringly towards the Sky Bison. "Anil has received the blessing of the Spirit of the Air." Aang said simply.

"The Air Spirit? Appa?" Toph asked in amazement.

Aang laughed. "No, Appa's not the Air Spirit. She resides in the Spirit World. But, according to Air Nomad mythology, the Sky Bison were one of the first creatures ever created, even before humans were created. They were created by the Air Spirit, and she gave them a piece of her power. The Sky Bison were called the Air Spirit's mortal representatives and were believed to carry out the Air Spirit's will on earth. That's why we sought out the Sky Bison to bestow blessings on our children."

"Oh, so he's been blessed now? Does that mean he'll stop crying all the time?"

"Afraid not."

"Damn it." Toph complained.

Toph noticed Aang's shift in emotions immediately. It was hard not to notice someone shift from happy to sad in a matter of moments.

Aang was petting Appa's nose with his free hand, but he was sad… really sad while doing it. "What's up, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.

"The Air Nomads are on their way to being saved." Aang said pensively. "I have a son and many more children on the way. But there is no salvation for the Sky Bison, is there? Or the Dragons."

"Oh." Toph said as she realized what Aang was getting at.

"If there were more Sky Bison, Appa probably would have had a mate and plenty of offspring for himself by now." Aang said. "I can save my culture, since I can reproduce with people from different cultures, but there is no suitable mate for Appa anywhere in the world. In this regard, he is more alone than I ever was."

"Aang, you know that it's possible that there are still Sky Bison." Toph said. "Everyone thinks that the Dragons are extinct, but you and Zuko found that there were still two living Dragons hiding from the world. Maybe the Sky Bison are doing the same thing."

"Maybe." Aang said, though his spirits hardly seemed to be lifted.

"Aang?" The two Benders looked around and saw Katara walking up the hallway towards them, wearing a loose-fitting gown. She was a little self-conscious about her post-baby body since only a few pounds of the weight she had gained when she was pregnant was due directly to the baby. Aang constantly assured her that she was beautiful, no matter what. He promised that when she recovered they would resume a light Waterbending routine. He was sure that she would have her body nearly back to normal in no time.

"Katara." Aang responded, walking over to her and giving her a firm kiss. "Are you sure you're feeling good enough to walk around?"

"I'm fine, Aang." Katara said, carefully taking their son from him. "Mommy's here now." She whispered, kissing Anil's forehead. "Aang, you look terrible, and you have to leave tomorrow if you want to reach the North Pole on time. You should get some sleep."

"Katara, I don't _have_ to go." Aang said. "No one would fault me for wanting to stay with my wife and newborn son."

"The Spirits might." Katara said. "The world comes first. I've known that since the day I fell in love with you, and I wouldn't have married you if I didn't accept it. Go. I'll have Sokka, Suki, and Toph to protect Anil and I. Besides, I am not helpless. I can defend myself and our son if it comes to that."

Aang laughed. "I believe you." He kissed her again. "I will leave tomorrow, and fly with all haste."

Katara returned his kiss. "I know."

**LES: I think I'll skip over the Winter Solstice meeting. And I'll do a sad chapter that I've been sitting on for a while. Having recently lost my grandfather, I'm in the perfect state of mind to write a death chapter. Oh, by the way, the song "One World" is sung by Celtic Women. Here's a link to the song: (remove the spaces for link) http:// .com/ watch?v= sAqj9NVsjf4**


	18. The Message

**Chapter XIIX: The Message**

* * *

It had been several weeks since Aang had left for the Winter Solstice meeting alone, and Katara missed him desperately. Her only comfort was her newborn son, Anil. When she looked into her baby's grey eyes, she saw Aang.

Over the past few weeks, she had gotten used to being a mother. She had mentally recovered and her body was well on the way to recovery.

She sat in the Cloisters of the Air Temple, feeding Anil, her son carefully bundled against the winter cold. From the Cloisters, she could watch the sky for her husband's return. Barring unforeseen complications, he would probably be coming home soon.

"Katara?" The Waterbender glanced around in time to see Sokka walk through the doorway. He froze in the doorway. Katara was properly covered up, but it was still obvious that she was breast-feeding. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's all right, Sokka. I'm almost done." Katara said as Anil finished. She fixed her dress and uncovered herself.

Sokka wasn't shocked to see that she was wearing Air Nomad clothing. She had taken to wearing Air Nomad clothing much more often, especially since Aang left. Sokka had to admit that the flowing orange and yellow dress draped gracefully over her body complimented her.

"Yes, Sokka, what is it?" Katara asked.

"There's a messenger from the Earth Kingdom." Sokka said.

Katara sighed heavily. She didn't have very good memories of the last message they had received from the Earth Kingdom. "Very well." She followed Sokka down to the courtyard.

"He's gotten bigger, hasn't he?" Sokka observed, glancing at the infant in Katara's arms.

"He has." Katara gazed fondly at her son. "He's nearly two months old now. My precious Anil…" She kissed the infant's forehead. "I wish Aang were back."

"Katara, Aang's gonna be back." Sokka assured her. "We haven't heard anything to suggest otherwise."

Their conversation came to a halt when they walked into the courtyard and met the Earth Kingdom messenger. Predictably, the man bowed. Katara could tell right away from his uniform that he was not from the Earth King, but from Omashu. "Oh no." Katara gasped quietly.

"Lady Katara, I have an urgent message for your husband. Is the Avatar available?"

"My husband has not yet returned from the Winter Solstice meeting at the North Pole." Katara answered. "But, as his wife, I'll receive the message and pass it onto him. It's about King Bumi, isn't it?" The messenger nodded. "Is it good news or bad news?"

"I'm afraid, My Lady, that it is bad news." The messenger said. "His Majesty, King Bumi's health continues to fail. He probably won't survive the month."

"Oh no… Aang is going to be devastated when he hears this…" Katara whispered. "Thank you." She spoke to the messenger. "I'll make sure Aang receives the message when he returns."

"Lady Katara, if I may add on a personal note: congratulations on the birth of yours and the Avatar's firstborn son." The messenger's eyes found the newborn wrapped in Katara's arms. "All of Omashu celebrated when we received the news. This is truly a great event for the entire world. But you and Avatar Aang must be so much more excited."

"Thank you." Katara said gratefully. "We are very excited."

The messenger bowed and left. Katara held her child tighter to herself. "Oh, Aang…" She knew that he would be terribly devastated when he found out about King Bumi's condition.

Sokka walked back into the room, and immediately saw the distressed look on Katara's face. "Katara, what is it?"

"It's King Bumi. He's dying." Katara said, beginning to walk away. Sokka followed her. "Aang and I will have to leave as soon as he returns."

Sokka froze on the spot for a few seconds, and then he continued to follow after Katara. "Katara, but what about Anil? He can't be old enough to travel."

"Anil will be fine." Katara said shortly. "And I don't appreciate you implying that I would purposefully endanger my son!"

"I didn't mean…" Sokka trailed off. "Okay, then what about Suki? She's _eight_ months pregnant, and you can bet you'll be in Omashu for more than a month. How will you help Suki with childbirth if you're in Omashu when she goes into labor?"

"She can still travel on Appa. She can come with us. Aang's mansion in Omashu is big enough for all of us." Katara said. "We can stay in Omashu for as long as necessary."

Sokka sighed. "We'll have to talk with Suki and Aang when he returns."

* * *

Thankfully, Aang came back home to very next day.

Katara, from her usual vantage point, was the first to spot Appa's massive form. "Aang!" She breathed excitedly, and hurried down to Appa's landing platform as quickly as she could while holding a newborn baby.

Within minutes, she arrived and saw that Aang had all ready dismounted and was giving Appa a scratch to thank the Sky Bison.

"Aang!" Katara called out, rushing up to him.

Aang turned around, a broad grin on his face. "Katara!" Though he longed to pull her into a tight embrace, he didn't because Katara was holding Anil. So he gave her a loose embrace and a passionate kiss. "Katara, I missed you so much." He whispered against her lips.

"I missed you too. Welcome home." Katara whispered in return.

Aang pulled away from her slightly, taking their son in his arms. "And how's my little man doing?"

"He's gotten bigger." Katara said fondly. "And he's sleeping better."

"Really? Is he sleeping through the night now?" Aang asked, sounding amazed.

"Not quite." Katara answered with a laugh. "But he's sleeping a little now."

"Oh well… an improvement is an improvement." Aang said with a small shrug, pressing a kiss to his son's forehead.

"Aang, I, uh… have some news… from Omashu." Katara began hesitantly.

Aang froze, and then looked at Katara. "How is Bumi?"

"Aang, he's…" Katara paused, knowing how devastated Aang was going to be when he heard the news. "He's getting worse. The messengers said he probably wouldn't survive the month."

Aang closed his eyes and released a shaky breath. Katara knew he was trying to calm his emotions. He passed Anil back to Katara. "I have to go to Omashu." He said.

"I know." Katara said. "But this time, you'll have company."

"It's safe for Anil to travel now?" Aang asked.

"He'll be fine as long as we don't fly too high up." Katara said. "Sokka and Suki are coming too."

"Why? Wouldn't they rather stay here at the Temple?"

"Probably. But Suki's eight months pregnant now and we'll probably be in Omashu for longer than a month. She needs to be where I am, and I need to be where you are."

"Oh well, there's plenty of room at my house in Omashu." Aang said. "But what about Toph?"

"I'm staying here, Twinkletoes." Aang looked around and saw Toph standing in one of the doorways leading off the balcony.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right…?" Aang began, but Toph cut him off.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't finish that sentence." Toph said. "_Yes_, I'll be fine by myself. I can take care of myself. Besides, I don't want to be around any more women giving birth. So I'll make myself useful by protecting the Temple while you're gone."

"Thanks, Toph." Aang said with a smile.

"So what are you waiting for?" Toph asked. "I'll get Sokka and Suki so you can get out of here." She left.

Aang turned to Appa. "Sorry, boy. I know we just got back home, but we have to leave again… to Omashu."

* * *

**LES: Does anyone remember the character Sarah from "The Land Before Time"? (The first one. The bazillion sequels don't exist, as far as I'm concerned.) Toph kind of reminds me of her. Except with Toph, she actually can take care of herself and it's not just boasting for boasting's sake.**


	19. The Final Goodbye

**Chapter IXX: Final Good-Bye**

* * *

Both Aang and Appa were probably very thankful when they arrived at Omashu. Aang was an Air Nomad, so he had grown up knowing that, while the Southern Air Temple would always be his home, he would spend most of his life travelling. But even the Air Nomads had a limit when it came to travelling. Very few Nomads would have ever travelled from one side of the world to the other and back as quickly as Aang had. And then, to make it worse, he was turning right back around to head to Omashu in the Earth Kingdom.

Needless to say, both Appa and Aang were reaching their breaking points.

Sokka and Suki were nearly as cranky as Aang was. Or, rather, Suki was cranky, and Sokka was cranky because she was cranky and taking it out on him.

Only Katara and Anil seemed to be happy. Katara was glad to be travelling again. Though she was not a Nomad like Aang, she enjoyed travelling. She had desperately missed flying with Aang on Appa when her newborn son had kept her grounded.

But, judging by Anil's reaction to the trip, he probably could have travelled a lot sooner. He spent the whole trip in a perpetual good mood, only acting fussy when he was tired or hungry.

This managed to please Aang. "Travelling is in his blood." He said. "The Air Nomads didn't travel so much because we felt we had to. We travelled because we loved it. In fact, most of the Air Nomads never stopped travelling and only came to the Air Temples for major events."

"Sounds like a sad existence to me." Sokka said. "Travelling is good and all, but I couldn't imagine not having a home to return to."

"The whole world was our home." Aang said. "Besides, a home is not a building; home is being with the people you love. The Air Nomads may have roamed continuously, but they did it with their families."

"What were the Air Nomad families like?" Katara asked, leaning against him.

"Very large." Aang said. "Travelling families were made up of dozens of people."

Sokka sat up. "Whoa. Back up. Are you seriously saying that _one_ couple would have _dozens_ of children?"

Aang laughed. "No, no. In the other nations, parents encouraged their children to leave the house and begin their own lives. But Air Nomad parents did not do this. It was not uncommon for a group to have three or four generations of a family present. Children only left when a woman married. She would join her husband's family."

"Oh." Sokka said, leaning back against the edge of the saddle. "That makes a lot more sense."

"Did the women ever get to see their families again?" Katara asked.

"Of course. There were a few times a year when every available Air Nomad would gather at the Temples. And on the Autumn Equinox, the Temples would house our entire nation." Aang explained.

"But if the Air Nomads always travelled, how was Sozin able to destroy them all during the comet's passing a hundred years ago?" Suki asked. "When Sozin's comet last came, it only lasted a few hours. That's not enough time to hunt down an entire nation of people spread thinly all over the world."

"Comets don't always arrive at the same time of year." Aang said. "A hundred years ago, the comet came at the worst possible time. I ran away just before the Fall Equinox, and the comet came just days after it. Sozin was able to strike during the only time of the year that my whole nation gathered together. Easy prey. My people probably didn't even have a chance to defend themselves."

Aang trailed off sorrowfully, his head bowed. Katara moved closer to him and embraced her husband. Anil cried, the only time he did so without reason for the entire trip.

* * *

As usual, their arrival to Omashu came with great fanfare. Generally, the Avatar was welcome wherever he went, and Omashu was no exception.

When they landed, Aang gave Sokka and Suki the directions to his house in Omashu and told them to take it easy and recover from the journey. He also told Katara to take Anil and get some rest. But Katara refused.

"You need me right now." She said. She held Anil closer to herself, glancing nervously at the people gathered around them. They looked torn between trying to get a glimpse of the Avatar's firstborn son and giving the Avatar and his family some space. "Besides, King Bumi might want to see our son before…" She trailed off.

Aang sighed. "You're right." So they separated. Sokka and Suki began to head towards their lodgings, with Sokka leading Appa; and Aang and Katara, holding Anil, when up to the Palace.

If there was one word that could be used to describe the state of the Palace, it would be 'depressed'. The Avatar and his family only received a half-hearted welcome from the herald before he led them through the Palace. Those who were employed to work at the Palace tended to their duties, but they moved to their duties, but they moved slowly, dragging their feet from their grief.

The mood was contagious.

Aang's dark mood only sank further when he saw the state of his friend. He had gotten regular letters from Bumi's chamberlain, so he knew that his friend's health had been failing for some time, but he didn't expect this.

When Aang had first seen Bumi again when he was twelve and Bumi was one hundred and thirteen, he had been extremely fit, still the powerful Earthbender. But now Bumi was bed-ridden, pale, and painfully thin.

"My Lord, Avatar Aang and his family." The herald announced and quickly left. Aang thought maybe it was because he couldn't bear to see his King this way.

"So, Aang, this is what it takes to get my old friend to visit Omashu?" Bumi asked with all his old good humor. "If I had known, I would have gotten sick years ago."

"I'm sorry, Bumi." Aang said, moving over to the elderly King's side. "It took a lot of work for the rest of the world to be at peace, and Omashu was always in good hands."

Bumi looked over Aang. "How old are you now, Aang?"

"Nineteen." Aang said.

"You still have your whole life ahead of you, while mine is nearing an end." Bumi said. "Do you remember when we were boys, looking towards the future with hope?"

"Of course." Aang said. "But you were always better at seeing the hope and potential in a situation, especially after I found out I was the Avatar."

"I told you that you had a rare opportunity." Bumi said nostalgically. "Many people dream of making the world a better place, but you had been born with the power."

"You said we would make the world a better place together." Aang finished.

"Oh, how I love being right." Bumi said. "You did make the world a better place. Though you found a new set of friends to help you with that."

"You helped too. Don't sell yourself short." Aang said.

Bumi stared at Aang for a while. "I can see the sorrow in your eyes. Aang, you really should know better than anyone that death is not the end. I will simply travel to the Spirit World when my body fails me."

"I know." Aang said. "But it is still hard to lose the people you care about."

"Indeed." Bumi agreed. "But I can assure you that I have lived a long and full life. Not many could live to be one hundred and twenty during wartime. Besides, I got to live to see the birth of your firstborn. You made me wait one hundred and seven years for it, but I suppose you being a monk… it could have been worse."

Katara took that as her cue. She stepped forward. "Hello, King Bumi." She said.

"Ah, the Lady Katara. The Water Tribe people prove themselves once again. You look very well-adjusted for a woman who just recently gave birth." Bumi said.

"I'm fine." Katara told him. She moved to Aang's side and passed him their son.

"So this is your son, Anil?" Bumi took one look at the infant before she spoke again. "He's an Airbender."

Aang and Katara stared at Bumi, shocked. So far, Anil had given no actual signs that he was an Airbender, and their only real evidence was Aang's vision the night Anil was conceived. "How do you know?" Katara asked.

"Besides yourself, Aang, there are very few people alive who still remember the time when the Air Nomads roamed the world. I can count myself one of those lucky few." Bumi said. "But, unlike you, I am not an Airbender myself. An Airbender has a very special feeling to them, something a fellow Airbender or someone who only has known one Air Nomad can know. Your son feels like the Air Nomads used to feel. This is a child who was born to taste the sort of freedom that only air can provide. Have there been any physical signs of Airbending?"

"Not yet." Aang said. "But it should be soon." He paused. "Bumi, I want to thank you for your friendship. You were one of the few people who treated me like I was simply a normal Airbender and not the Avatar. I can't tell you how much that meant to me."

"I was simple returning the favor." Bumi said. "You were one of the few people who didn't treat me like a Prince." Aang chuckled. "So, Aang, how long will you be staying?"

"As long as I have to." Aang said. "The world can function without me for a while. Being here for a friend is more important to me right now. Besides, I can help you."

"I see. So the Great Bridge between our world and the Spirit World will personally guide my way to the other side?" Bumi said. "What is the Spirit World like?"

Despite Aang's many trips into the Spirit World, it always defied his attempts to explain what it was like. "The Spirit World is constantly changing. Most of the time, it exists in its own reality. It resembles our world, except there's no logic or substance. Because there is no substance, Bending is impossible."

"That doesn't sound like fun." Bumi said with disappointment. Aang could help but laugh at that.

"But when it is near a solstice, the Spirit World and the Physical World merge together. Invisible spirits walk alongside the living and the more powerful spirits can sometimes cross into our world. But the dead cannot do this, except for the past Avatars channeling themselves through their current incarnation. Also, you'll be able to take on any form you like. Some choose to take the form of Spirit animals, while some remain human, but alter something about themselves. They can appear younger, if they wish."

"You see, Aang, that was the news I wanted to hear." Bumi said. "Hopefully you will know what it is like to be one hundred and twenty some day."

"We can only hope." Aang said.

"It always seems to be the fate of the Avatar to live either a very long time or to be cut down too soon. I shall pray for the former." Bumi said, his voice softer than before.

Aang felt it instantly, the Spirit World beginning to leak into the physical world as it always did when someone was near death. "Katara…" He handed his wife their son. "Take Anil and stand back. The Spirit World is no place an infant should be exposed to."

"Now?" Katara asked, a little shocked.

"Yes, now." Aang smirked at Bumi. "Were you hanging on just long enough for me to arrive?"

"The will to live is a powerful thing, Aang. I'm ready now." Bumi said.

Aang went to Bumi's bedside and took his hand. "Death doesn't hurt." Aang said. "Even a traumatic death. You won't feel any pain."

Aang fell silent, into a meditative trance. Katara could tell the second it happened, because Aang's tattoos always glowed when he entered the Spirit World, and today was no exception.

Aang and Bumi were travelling to the Spirit World. The only difference was that Aang was able to come back.

* * *

Aang was more than used to the feeling of crossing over into the Spirit World, so the out-of-body experience didn't phase him at all. The difference was that he almost never took Spirit World journeys with other people.

Once the journey was finished, he glanced over at Bumi, who was now in his ideal form.

Bumi appeared to be about the same age as Aang, around nineteen or twenty.

The two friends smiled at each other and embraced.

"I'll miss you, Bumi." Aang said.

"Don't worry about me." Bumi said. "Someday, it will be your turn, and we'll be reunited again. And you'll be reunited with your lost people."

"Be at peace." Aang whispered with a hand gesture of blessing.

"Now it's time for you to go enjoy your life." Bumi said. "Get back to your family."

Aang nodded. "Good bye, Bumi."

"Not good bye. I'll see you soon." Bumi corrected.

Aang smiled and allowed himself to be drawn out of the Spirit World and back to his physical body.

As soon as he became aware of this body again, he released Bumi's cold hand and wept.

Katara instantly came to his side. "Aang?"

Without a word, Aang turned to face Katara and pulled her into an embrace, as if to reassure himself that Katara was still real and was still there for him.

"I'm here for you, Aang." Katara whispered, kissing his face. "Bumi might be the last friend you had from your childhood, but you still have family and friends. And you have me and Anil."

Aang kissed her back. "The hardest thing about being frozen in time for one hundred years is waking to up to find all my old friends are dead."

"I know." Katara vividly remembered their first trip to the Southern Air Temple following Aang's release from the iceberg, and she remembered his sorrow when he found the skeleton of Monk Gyatso.

"You can stay as long as you want." Katara said, gently pulling out of his embrace. "I'll go spread the word. Take your time."

Katara left the room to give Aang a private moment to deal with grief.

The entire City mourned a King's death that night.

* * *

**LES: (hugs Aang) Poor Aang. I know how you feel. I promise, the next chapter will still deal with Bumi's death, but this is the last full-depressing chapter dealing with it. There's humor and new life in the next chapter. And, as cheesy as this is gonna sound, I'm gonna have to quote "Bambi 2".**

**Bambi's Mom: Everything in the forest has its season. Where one thing falls, another thing grows. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful.**

**LES: … Or something like that. Oh, and by the way, since everyone is asking... Yes, there REALLY is a "Bambi 2". Google it if you don't believe me.**


	20. The Family Expands

**LES: Why am I making Aang's family sound like the mob? I might as well start calling Aang "The Don" and be done with it! Aang becomes an uncle, and also an amount of Sokka-humor that I've been dying to add for a while, but couldn't because of the depressing quality of the last few chapters. The first part of the chapter will still deal with depressing issues, but it won't be the whole chapter this time, I promise.**

**Another removed lemon. I tried to have it so that we kept the Sokka humor without breaking the new rules on mature content. Hopefully I found a balance...  
**

**Chapter XX: The Family Expands**

* * *

Aang's period of mourning lasted from the moment of Bumi's death until a few weeks after his state funeral and the crowning of the next King of Omashu.

Since Bumi had no children, he named his heir as an idealistic young nobleman who he felt would be able to lead Omashu in a time of peace.

Aang had talked to the nobleman, and had officially given him his blessing, and Aang did believe that he was worthy to take Bumi's place, but he wasn't Bumi.

Perhaps the hardest part for Aang was the funeral.

It was attended by many state dignitaries who spoke of Bumi only as a King, reminiscing about his years of wise rule and the time he routed the Fire Nation occupation of his city singlehandedly in less than eight minutes.

And then it was Aang's turn to speak. If everyone was expecting him to talk about what a great King Bumi was, they were shocked when he only spoke about Bumi as a person and a friend.

He talked in length about the Bumi as he had known him a hundred years ago: Bumi the child; Bumi the prankster. He spoke about their illegal rides down Omashu's mail delivery system, and how with a combination of Aang's Airbending and Bumi's Earthbending, they would cause a vast amount of destruction.

He then said that Bumi was one of the few people who didn't make a habit of calling him simply 'The Avatar', but by his given name. This made the man officiating the funeral upset since he had referred to Aang as 'The Avatar' himself.

Aang then finished by saying that Bumi had taught him that being the Avatar did not change who he was, and he had also taught him to see the world for its possibilities rather than what people expected him to see.

This unusual speech caused quite a stir, but Katara could tell that Aang didn't care. He calmly took his seat.

Thankfully, everyone calmed down and the funeral proceeded with no outbursts.

Katara was in pain during Aang's period of mourning. It had been nearly three months since Anil's birth, but she was a little reluctant to approach Aang now that she had her sexual appetite back. It had been a few months that actually felt like an eternity since they last had sex, and she wanted him badly.

He didn't even have to do anything to get her all hot and bothered any more. All it took was a glance (and a non-sexual glance at that), or him taking off his shirt, or him holding Anil. Pretty much _everything_ about him turned her on!

But she resolved to wait until his mourning period was over, no matter how much she may want him.

For many days, she could tell that he was still depressed, but one day that changed. He started visiting the people of Omashu again, public appearances that had come to a virtual stand-still following Bumi's death.

He resumed playing with his son and taking walked holding Anil so that he could bask in the fatherly pride of having people tell him he had a handsome son. If Aang had one weakness, it was pride. Perhaps pride was forbidden to monks, but Air Nomad Avatars were different from the rest of their culture. They were never expected to become detached and achieve spiritual enlightenment.

She found Aang one evening studying some letters after she had put Anil to sleep. She felt her desire increase in the pit of her stomach. She desperately wanted him, and she knew that now was the time.

She loosened the ties of her dress until she was displaying a very generous amount of cleavage for her husband's eyes only. She pulled down her hair because she knew that Aang loved to run his fingers through her unbound locks.

She stepped into the Master Bedroom, and leaned against the doorway, but Aang hadn't noticed her. So she went straight to Plan B. She walked over to him and yanked the scroll out of his hands.

"Katara, what are you…?" Aang looked up at her, and his words died in his throat. "What… what…?"

"What, Aang? What am I doing?" Katara finished, tossing the scroll on the floor. The scroll was a very important update from the Earth Kingdom about the status of the Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom; but it suddenly didn't seem that important. "What I'm doing is serving my husband. It's been a while since I was last able to perform my wifely duties." She moved around behind him, caressing his neck and dipping her fingers under his robes to rub his chest.

She felt Aang shiver under her fingers, and he looked back at her. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

She bent down to kiss the side of his neck, and he let out a soft sigh. "I'm sure."

"Anil?"

"I just put him to sleep." Katara answered. "We have several house before he wakes up for his late night meal."

"Oh Spirits." Aang breathed, standing up and removing his robe with inhuman speed. He turned to face her and pulled her into an intensely passionate kiss.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25248089725 / dvl - chapter - 20 - lemon

* * *

The new parents were so wrapped up in reestablishing their sexual connection that they didn't notice the sudden increase in noise-level in the mansion. It wasn't Anil. Like most parents, they were hard-wired to hear their son's cries. But because the noise did not fall into that category, they took no notice.

But they most certainly _did_ notice when Sokka burst into the room without any preamble or even a simple knock. "Katara, I…"

Sokka froze; in fact, everything in the room froze. Even the most moronic person in the world could plainly see that Aang and Katara were currently engaged in having sex, and Sokka was no moron, despite popular opinion.

Katara unfroze and pulled away from her husband, drawing an involuntary gasp from him. Then she quickly covered the both with the blankets. "Sokka? What…"

Her question was cut off when Sokka walked purposefully across the room. Without any warning at all, he punched the young Avatar in the jaw.

"Sokka!" Katara yelled, but her voice was drowned out by Aang.

"Ow! What was that for?" Aang said, rubbing his sore jaw.

"Exactly!" Katara agreed. "Aang is my _husband_! We have a _child_ together! Isn't it kinda obvious that we're having sex?"

"Knowing about it is one thing… walking in on it…" Sokka trailed off, glaring at the Avatar. "If you weren't the Avatar and if Suki weren't in labor…"

"Oh Spirits! Suki's in labor?" Katara gasped. "Hold on. I'll be right there!" She took the covers as she rushed for her clothes, leaving Aang with only the sheets and some pillows for coverage.

Aang couldn't bring himself to meet Sokka's eyes. Katara dressed quickly and rushed out of the room.

Sokka lingered in the room, glaring at the blushing Avatar. "I'll deal with you later, Mister Avatar!" Sokka left the room.

Aang released the breath that he had been holding. He was the Avatar, the most powerful person on the planet. He was nineteen years old. He was a husband and a father. But he suddenly felt like a child again.

* * *

What Aang quickly realized, however, was that he was glad that he had no obligation to be there. Certainly, Suki did need support, but Sokka and Katara were there for that. Aang felt that seeing to his son's needs while his wife was otherwise occupied was his greatest obligation at the moment.

After he took care of himself, and got dressed, he moved quietly into his son's room while carefully avoiding Sokka. Surely Sokka wouldn't pick a fight with Aang in the same room as his sleeping son.

There was a small looking glass in the room, and Aang examined his reflection with a sigh. His jaw was all ready bruising. He could just imagine people asking him how it happened. What could possibly put a bruise on the Avatar's face?

There was no way Aang wanted to have that conversation. What could he say? 'My brother-in-law walked in on me having sex with my wife and punched me in the face'? No one would be able to take him seriously if that happened. And as much as Aang hated it, being the Avatar made it necessary for him to have a good reputation and be respected everywhere.

And, what was worse, it seemed like Sokka wasn't done punishing him.

Aang snorted softly. _She's my wife! I didn't do anything wrong! It's not like he's a virgin either! Suki's giving birth to his child right now. Hypocrite!_

He sighed to himself. It was going to be a long night. It would take a miracle for him to fall asleep again, and he was the only available to take care of Anil. Aang hoped that he wouldn't get hungry until the actual birth was over, because Aang was _not_ equipped to handle it!

There was a chair in the room, so Aang settled down to watch over his son. The sounds of anguish filled the house, and he sighed once again. Tonight is going to be a long night.

* * *

Incredibly, Aang managed to doze off in the early hours of the morning, though it was probably only because of sheer exhaustion. However, Aang's sleep did not last long.

Aang felt a disturbance in the air, like an unusually strong breeze inside the room. He was jolted awake. The window was shut to keep out the cold night air, so the breeze couldn't have come from a natural source.

Aang's eyes fell on his son's cradle, and his jaw dropped. He quickly stood and rushed over, and saw that Anil was now awake and obviously preparing to sneeze.

Aang held his breath as Anil sneezed, causing another gust of air in the room; only powerful enough to ruffle Aang's robes. But still, Airbending was Airbending!

Aang burst into tears of happiness as he picked up Anil and held his son close to him. _I'm not alone anymore!_ Aang realized. _The Air Nomads will come back! They will be reborn in my son!_

Unable to contain his happiness any longer, Aang rushed out of the room towards Sokka and Suki's room, yelling for his wife.

Just as he reached the door, it opened, and Katara quickly stepped out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Aang? What in the world is going on?" She demanded, barely loud enough to be heard over Suki's grunts, moans, and threats inside the room.

"Anil…" Aang began breathlessly. "He sneezed! I'm not alone anymore, Katara! I'm not the last Airbender!"

Katara kissed him. "No, you are not the last Airbender. You are the _first_ Airbender." She took Anil from Aang's arms and kissed her son fondly. "Oh, Aang, this is such good news!"

Aang wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "I love you so much, Katara!"

Katara returned his kiss passionately. "I love you too!"

"Excuse me!" Suki yelled from inside the room. "I'd hate to interrupt this _wonderful_ family moment, but I'm sort of _having a baby_ here!"

Katara jumped away from Aang. "Oh Spirits! I'm so sorry, Suki!" She handed Anil back to Aang. "Just hang on for a few more hours; this is going quite fast…"

"Fast!" Suki screeched from inside the room. "It's well past midnight, and I've been in labor for _hours_! If you tell me I'm almost done _one more time_…"

"Has she started threatening to kill Sokka yet?" Aang asked casually.

"Oh, she's threatened to kill everyone." Katara answered. "I'll see you soon, Aang." She kissed him and went back into the room.

* * *

Katara was right. Suki's labor was over a lot sooner than her own labor, while the actual birth did take a little longer.

Aang knew exactly when the birth started because Sokka left the room, looking green.

The Water Tribe Warrior looked over at the Avatar with a glare. He obviously had not forgotten what he had walked in on last night, and he looked like he wanted nothing more than to punch Aang in the face again. However, Aang was holding his sleeping son, so that saved him from another bruise.

Well… Aang couldn't blame Sokka for being stressed beyond all reason. Aang only had vague memories of when Anil was born since the whole experience had basically been a massive blur of pain and horror.

Sokka saw the knowing look on Aang's face. "Smug bastard." The Water Tribe Warrior growled.

"So now I'm the bad guy for having gone through this experience myself?" Aang asked.

"I still haven't forgiven you for last night." Sokka responded.

"Okay, look… you walked in on Katara and I having sex…" Aang began.

"Just shut up now." Sokka said. "I don't want to hear about what you do with my little sister."

"It was very awkward." Aang admitted. "But Katara is my wife. I love her, and I love all the different facets of that love."

"Aang! I don't want to punch you when you're holding your kid!" Sokka said. "You can't understand how I feel about Katara! If you had a younger sister, you'd know how I feel."

"If I had a younger sister, I'd want her to be happy." Aang said. "Hasn't this last year shown you that Katara is happy with me?"

Sokka sighed in defeat. "Look, Aang… I…" Suddenly Sokka was cut off when Suki gave a particularly loud scream, followed closely by the sound of a newborn's first cries.

Sokka was on his feet instantly. A few moments later, Katara stepped out of the door with a loud sigh, wiping some sweat off her forehead. She smiled at Sokka.

Sokka rushed over to his younger sister. "Katara! How's Suki? How's the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Suki and the baby are both fine." Katara assured him. "Now, I know you're a chauvinist, so try to contain your disappointment. It's a girl."

"Disappointed?" Sokka demanded. "Are you kidding? That's great!" He stepped into the room.

Katara gave Aang a look of shock, and then she walked over and sat down next to him. "I thought he would be disappointed for sure." Katara said disbelievingly.

"Boy or girl, that baby is _his_, and that's all that matters." Aang said. "Despite appearances, Sokka has matured…" He gently nursed his bruised jaw. "A little."

Katara inspected his jaw, and then quickly gathered some water out of the air and used it to heal the large purple discoloring on his face. And then she kissed that spot where it was. "Is that better?"

"Always." Aang responded, giving her a kiss.

Katara turned her attention to her son, sleeping peacefully in Aang's arms. She gently smoothed down his downy black hair, being very careful not to wake him up. "And don't think I've forgotten about our own good news. You were right all this time. He really is an Airbender. You must be so happy."

"Words cannot describe." Aang responded, kissing her. "Thank you so much, Katara, for giving me your love and this wonderful gift.

"There is nothing to thank me for." Katara responded, pressing her lips firmly against his.

The door opened again, and Sokka stepped out of the room, grinning brightly. "Hey, you guys, don't you want to come in and meet my daughter?" He stepped back into the room.

Katara took Anil and stood up. "I'll put Anil to bed. You go ahead, Uncle." She added playfully.

"Uncle. Wow." Aang said in a daze. "And I just started getting used to being a father."

They kissed and went their separate ways. Aang stepped into the room. Suki was reclined on the bed, looking extremely tired but very happy at the same time. Sokka sat on the bed next to her, beaming with pride. In Suki's arms was a tiny bundle.

Aang couldn't help but stare at the scene before him. _Did Katara and I look like that almost three months ago?_

Aang smirked. "Is it safe now?"

Suki sighed. "Look, Aang, I'm sorry for anything I may have said about you when I was in labor." It sounded like a rehearsed apology.

"You called him twenty different names, told him to do something to himself that is physically impossible, and threatened him with five different deaths." Sokka counted off on his fingers. "Why were you so angry with Aang anyway?"

"Um… I don't remember." Suki said sheepishly.

"Maybe you were angry at me for pulling Katara out of the room." Aang suggested.

"Oh yeah! That was it!" Sokka said.

Aang moved over to Suki's other side and gazed down at the baby girl. She was a beautiful infant with strong Earth Kingdom features, but blue Water Tribe eyes. Aang grinned at Sokka. "She sure is squishy looking."

"Are you kidding? She's the most beautiful baby in the whole world!" Aang rolled his eyes.

He turned his attention to Suki. "Does she have a name?"

"Yes." Suki said. "Her name is Michiko."

The name stirred in Aang's memory, and he was shocked that he could actually remember it. "That was the name of Avatar Kyoshi's oldest daughter and founder of the Kyoshi Warriors."

Suki laughed. "I should have realized you'd know that." She gazed down at her daughter fondly. "You are so blessed, Michiko. You are named for the daughter of one Avatar, and you are the niece of another." She kissed her daughters forehead.

* * *

**LES: Lots more Sokka-humor in this chapter, which is only a good thing. I love doing sexual walk-ins, and Sokka was a prime candidate for one. I couldn't resist. Also, some more of Sokka's amusing hypocrisy. Babies are only squishy looking when they aren't yours. Ah, Sokka, how you amuse me. If I lived in the Avatar world, I would probably be Sokka's best friend. Now, on to Michiko's name. Michiko is a Japanese name. I wanted to do a Chinese name, but I didn't like the Chinese names I found. So, let's just say that Avatar Kyoshi really liked Fire Nation names.**

**Michiko is a Japanese name that means "beautiful, wise child".**

**LES: I'll probably give her a nickname. Something like 'Michi' or 'Miko'. (shrug).**


	21. Here We Go Again

**LES: One month later. If I've got this figured out right… Anil is four months old, Michiko is one month old, and Lady Nera plus the other women who are as-of-yet unnamed are about six months pregnant. Also, thanks to all the people who reviewed and let me know that Avatar Kyoshi did, in fact, have a daughter and that her name was Koko. (The girl who coined the nickname 'Aangy' in "The Kyoshi Warriors" was named after her.) I did not know this at the time. It seems to be something that was aired specially on Cartoon Network, and I don't have Cartoon Network, so I was unaware of this fact. Thanks, anyway! I'll go ahead and stick with my own name.**

**Chapter XXI: Here We Go Again**

* * *

In the month following Michiko's birth, the extended family took up residence in Omashu; and the sleepless nights began all over again.

Anil had gotten to the point where he only woke up once or twice during the night, and his parents had adapted to that schedule. But Michiko cried all night long. And, unfortunately, Michiko's cries often woke Anil up, and he was _not_ happy about it!

But, instead of driving the family apart, they drew closer together. They bonded together during the long sleepless nights spent trying to calm their children.

Suki was very lucky, in a way, to have Katara around. Katara was able to give Suki lots of advice, just as Aang was there to give advice to Sokka.

Of course, their children's development continued apace. Anil was showing signs of Airbending much more often now, and the word quickly spread.

Once the news spread, it quickly became apparent that Anil was the most universally loved child in the whole world. Over the course of the month, all the people of the world had joined in celebration of the first Airbender to be born in over a hundred years.

The celebration in Omashu lasted the longest, and the people there were more excited than any other city on the planet. Every time Anil displayed some Airbending power in public, it was met with applause.

Almost as well-known was Michiko. She wasn't related to the Avatar by blood, but she was still the Avatar's niece. Just being a member of the Avatar's family made her famous too.

Sokka soaked in the attention more than anyone, constantly hamming up that his brother-in-law was the Avatar himself!

But the greatest thing that happened while the Avatar's family was in Omashu was a visit from Firelord Zuko.

Katara was feeding Anile when someone knocked on the door, so she called for her husband. "Aang? Could you get that?" She asked.

"Sure." Aang responded, heading for the door. He briefly wondered how people would react if they found out the Avatar answered his own door in a Kingdom where all nobility had servants to answer the door for them. He all ready witnessed several nobles in shock when they came to visit him in his home, especially in Ba Sing Se.

Aang opened the door, and immediately broke into a grin. "Zuko! It's so good to see you!" Indeed, it was the young Firelord standing on Aang's doorstep. The two men embraced. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the Fire Nation."

"Do I really need an excuse to visit an old friend?" Zuko asked. "The Spring Equinox meeting at Ba Sing Se is still two weeks off, so Mai is taking care of things so that I could visit your family. Then we can travel to Ba Sing Se together. Besides, I haven't had a chance to meet your son yet. Where is he?"

"Katara's feeding him. So I'm gonna have to tell you to wait. Friend or not, if you saw my wife like that, I'd have to teach you a lesson." Aang said, somewhat playfully, and somewhat seriously.

"So… Katara's doing that herself? Naturally?"

"Yes. What's the problem?"

"Oh, no problem at all. It's just that most noble women would hire a wet nurse."

"No way! Katara would water-whip me if I suggested hiring a wet nurse!" Aang said. "Katara says that feeding a baby naturally strengthens the bond between mother and child, and she wouldn't give that up for the world."

"I bet she'll be singing a different tune when he starts teething." Zuko commented.

"Aang, who is it?" Katara asked, stepping into the foyer. She paused mid-stride. "Zuko? It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too." Zuko responded politely, smirking to himself. _Is this really the same woman who once threatened to kill me?_ "I'm sorry that I haven't been able to come visit sooner, but I wanted to see Anil for myself." His eyes fell on the bundle in Katara's arms. "So this is Anil?"

"Yes." Katara said fondly. She adjusted her hold on Anil so that Zuko could see him.

"He's beautiful." Zuko said. Aang stepped forward and took Anil out of Katara's arms, kissing the baby on the forehead. Anil squealed in pleasure at his father's attention. Looking between Aang and Anil, Zuko could see the strong resemblance between them. "He _does_ look a lot like you, Aang."

"You got that right." Katara said. "He's got Aang's eyes, Aang's hair, Aang's Airbending, and Aang's temperament. Thank the Spirits for the last one."

Aang kissed Katara. "Your temperament's not that bad."

Zuko snorted. "You've never been on the receiving end of her death threats."

Aang laughed. "Most of the time." He amended. "And, actually, Zuko… I _have_ been on the receiving end of her death threats."

"What? When?" Katara asked, shocked.

"When you were in labor with Anil." Aang said. "You said you were going to kill me and then hunt down my reincarnations and kill them too."

"Oh…" Katara said. "Sorry about that."

"It doesn't matter. I love you."

"So… Anil…" Zuko began, drawing attention back to himself. "It's official? He's an Airbender?"

"Definitely." Aang said. He gently tickled Anil's nose until the baby sneezed. Once again, the breeze picked up in the room.

"Wow." Zuko commented. "Air Nomad children could show signs of Bending this early? Fire Nation children aren't allowed to handle fire until they are six or seven."

"Waterbending can begin this early too." Katara said. "Dad always told me about the first time I showed signs of Waterbending powers. I was about Anil's age, and my… my mom was giving me a bath. I splashed the water and caused a wave that soaked the whole hut. Sokka spent the whole day crying about how he didn't want a 'magic sister'."

Aang and Zuko laughed. They were all familiar with Sokka's feelings towards Bending. He had never been very comfortable around Benders. First it was his sister, comparing her to a water-witch almost daily; and then he had been just as put off by Aang's 'freakiness'. And that was before he found out Aang was the Avatar!

Suddenly, Katara started laughing uncontrollably, and the two men glanced at her. "What is it?" Aang asked.

"Oh, nothing." Katara said, still laughing. "I was just imagining how Sokka would react if his daughter turned out to be a Bender."

Aang joined in with his wife's laughter. "Oh Spirits, he would have a heart attack!"

"Maybe not if she was a Waterbender." Zuko commented. "After all, no matter how ignorant he is about Bending, he grew up with a Waterbender. But remember that Suki's of the Earth Kingdom. The child could very well turn out to be an Earthbender. It was my impression that he wasn't very comfortable around Toph's Earthbending the most."

Aang nodded in agreement. Sokka had always been openly uncomfortable with Toph's Earthbending. He yelled at her more about her 'earth quaking' then he did at either Aang or Katara for their Bending practices.

"So, Waterbending starts early. When does Earthbending start?" Zuko asked, glancing at Aang.

"Why are you looking at me?" Aang asked.

"Well, you _are_ an Earthbender." Zuko pointed out.

"Only because I'm the Avatar." Aang said. "I was raised as an Airbender and didn't start learning Earthbending until I was twelve." Aang paused. "Toph once told me that she could use her Earthbending vision for as long as she could remember."

"You are the Avatar!" Zuko repeated. "Can't you just access the memories of your Earthbending predecessors?"

"I suppose I could." Aang conceded. "Give me a second." Aang closed his eyes and a few seconds later, his tattoos flashed briefly. When he opened his eyes, however, he was back to normal. "Avatar Kyoshi said that the first signs of Earthbending usually happens during one of the child's temper tantrum. Usually when the child stomps their foot." Aang demonstrated, stomping his foot and causing a spike of Earth to jut out of the floor. With another motion, he smoothed the floor again.

Katara moved closer to Aang and whispered in his ear. "You know, I find it incredible sexy when you Earthbend."

Zuko couldn't hear what Katara said, but he could guess judging by the way Aang's face flushed a deep red. Actually, it was pretty entertaining.

"Hey, if you two have 'plans' don't let me stop you." Zuko said playfully.

Aang blushed. "Oh, it's nothing like that! Um… would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Of course." Zuko responded.

* * *

Dinner that night was lively, and not just because Anil gave a particularly violent sneeze which managed to blow Katara's soup all over everyone, which pleased the infant judging by the way he giggled as the others attempted to remove soup from their hair and cloths.

Aang, however, was ecstatic even as he used Waterbending to get the soup out of his clothes. Apparently, most Air Nomad children couldn't use their Bending to move much of anything besides air until they started their actual training. The fact that Anil had been able to blow soup everywhere pleased him greatly.

"He has all the makings of a great Airbender, maybe even a prodigy!" Aang said happily.

Zuko groaned loudly, and everyone stared at him. "Sorry." He apologized. "It's just that I have bad memories of Bending prodigies." Everyone remembered that Zuko's psycho sister was a Firebending prodigy. "I'm not saying all prodigies are bad or…"

"Completely psycho." Sokka provided.

"Yeah." Zuko agreed. "I didn't mean any disrespect. If he really is a prodigy, it will be a good thing. It is essential that as many of your children Master Airbending as possible. Being a prodigy will help."

"It's all right, Zuko. I understand your concerns." Aang said. "I grew up being told that I was an Airbending prodigy, so I know that knowledge can sometimes go to someone's head. I'll do my best to teach Anil humility."

Zuko laughed. "Don't worry about it, Aang, you'd have to actually try to make a child as twisted as my sister."

"You got that right!" Sokka agreed, trying to get soup out of his hair. "Aang? A little help please?"

Aang smiled and helped the rest of the group.


	22. The Dragon's Rebirth

**LES: Surprisingly, the idea for this chapter came from my non-Avatard father. I was watching the episode "The Firebending Masters" and my dad was watching with me and he made a comment that I almost shot down. But, you know what? It actually made sense. Another strange instance of a non-Avatard picking up on something that an Avatard like me missed. Strange how that works… Thanks place immediately after the Spring Equinox meeting.**

**Chapter XXII: The Dragon's Rebirth**

* * *

It didn't take a genius to realize that Aang was excited to see the end of the Spring Equinox meeting. Not only did that mean that he and Katara had been married for over a year now, but after months of travel, he would be returning home to the Southern Air Temple.

Katara was so glad to see how excited he was about going home; and it occurred to Katara how much they both had rubbed off on each other during the last seven years. Aang, the constant wanderer, had learned to appreciate the comforts of home. And Katara, the tribal woman who valued family above all, had learned the thrill of travel.

On the day before they decided to go home, the family played with their two infants at the same time, with Anil being the most responsive since he was older.

But suddenly, playtime was interrupted when Zuko rushed into the house, sighing with relief. "Oh, good, you're still here. I was worried you had left all ready."

"Well, no need to worry, because we weren't going to leave until tomorrow." Aang said, passing Anil to Katara. "What's wrong, Zuko?"

"Can I speak to you alone?" Zuko asked. "It's regarding our Firebending Masters."

Aang instantly followed Zuko out of the room. Both Aang and Zuko had learned an ancient method of Firebending from the source of Firebending: the dragons. But they weren't just any dragons, but the last two alive in the world today. As the Avatar, Aang had a vast interest in their safety, and the look on Zuko's face scared him.

_I hope nothing bad has happened to them._ Aang thought to himself.

Once they were a short distance away from the rest, and out of ear-shot from any eavesdroppers, Aang spoke. "What's the matter? Did something happen to Ran and Shao?"

"I'm not sure." Zuko admitted. "A messenger hawk arrived at my villa just now, baring a message from the Sun Warriors." Zuko held out a scroll for Aang to read.

The Avatar took it and quickly read the message that was within.

_'Esteemed Firelord Zuko,_

_The last hope for the preservation of Firebending has awoken._

_We would be pleased if you and the Avatar could meet us beyond the Western Wall of Ba Sing Se in a week's time at midnight._

_Our last hope may rest with you._

_~Chief of the Sun Warrior Clan'_

"What day is one week from the time this letter was sent?" Aang asked.

"It's today." Zuko said. "Tonight, at midnight, beyond the western wall of Ba Sing Se. Will you come with me? We can get there faster on Appa."

"Of course I'll come. I'm just as interested in the fate of the dragons as you are." Aang said. "It's starting to get late."

"Yes." Zuko agreed. "We should go before my body guards realize I'm not in my room."

Aang laughed at the thought of Zuko giving his body guards the slip, but he could understand why he did it. Maintaining the safety of the dragon's existence was critical. If any ambitious Firebenders discovered the dragons were still alive, they would hunt them down without a thought in order to win honor and glory for themselves.

Zuko joined in Aang's laughter. "Like we really need body guards. Who could possibly go against the Firelord _and_ the Avatar in combat?"

"Not many." Aang said. "Hold on, I need to tell Katara that I'm leaving." He rushed back to his family, followed by Zuko. "Um, Katara?" He called to get her attention. "Something has come up and I have to leave. I probably won't be back until well after midnight. Don't wait up for me."

"Oh, okay, Aang." Katara stood up and kissed him. "Be safe?"

"Always." Aang responded before following Zuko out the door once again.

* * *

They made it outside the Western Wall of Ba Sing Se with plenty of time to spare. Because of the secretive nature of the letter, they were far enough away from the massive walls that it could barely be seen on the horizon. They were quite literally in the middle of nowhere.

Zuko slid off Appa's back and landed firmly on the ground, taking in a deep breath. "Man, it's been so long since I could just enjoy the scenery. Being the Firelord is great and all, but it doesn't give me much of a chance to stop and smell the roses."

"I know what you mean." Aang said, jumping off Appa and gently landing on the ground next to him. "It seems I never get a moment of peace, between the demands of the world and my family. Don't get me wrong. I love my family and I wouldn't trade them for anything. It just gets a little much sometimes. I'd gladly give up being the Avatar some days." Aang glanced at Zuko. "Speaking of families, when are Katara and I going to get an announcement about Mai's pregnancy? It's been years! At this rate, _Toph_ will have children before you!"

"But Toph doesn't even have a boyfriend… _and_ she hates children!" Zuko pointed out.

"Exactly." Aang said.

Zuko sighed. "It's complicated. I would like a child… and not just because I'm the Firelord. But Mai… she's nervous about having children. For Katara, it was probably a really easy decision to have children with you because she has such strong maternal instincts anyway. She all ready mothered everyone around her even when she was fourteen. Mai doesn't have those motherly instincts. She doesn't even know how to act around her little brother, and he's nearly nine years old."

"Do you want me to have Katara talk to her the next time we're in the Fire Nation?" Aang asked.

"I don't know what good it will do." Zuko said pitifully. "I just wish I knew a way to help her."

The two men sighed and settled down to wait.

* * *

It was nearing midnight, and the two friends amused themselves by fighting a good-natured Agni Kai. However, while the duel was friendly, it was still quite epic. Their only rules were that Aang could only use Firebending and couldn't use the Avatar State, and neither could use lightning. Of course, they both knew the very rare technique of redirecting lightning, but it was still too dangerous for a spar. They had both been permanently scarred by lightning, Aang in the middle of his back and Zuko on his stomach, and both had great respect for lightning's awesome destructive power.

With these constraints in place, they were pretty evenly matched. Fire was not Aang's natural element, and he had to keep consciously reminding himself to not use Airbending, which was as natural to him as breathing. That upped the challenge.

Zuko quickly took the offensive during Aang's slightly hesitations, and it was only the fact that even without the Avatar State Aang was the more powerful Bender that enabled him to take control of Zuko's fire blasts and redirect them into the sky.

However, the Agni Kai eventually went to Zuko when he did the seemingly impossible: used a wall of fire to cut off the Avatar's retreat. Once Aang realized that he was trapped, he conceded victory.

"You realize how much glory I just won for myself?" Zuko asked, extinguishing the fire. "I just defeated the Avatar himself in an Agni Kai!"

"Only because I was only allowed to use Firebending." Aang responded playfully. "I'm at my most powerful when I can use all four elements. If I could have just used Air, I would have won."

"No, thanks." Zuko said. "I've been on the receiving end of your Airbending attacks one too many times, back in the old days."

"All right, then. Consider this victory an apology for the dozens of times I defeated you." Aang said.

"It was _hardly_ dozens of times." Zuko said.

However, any further conversation was cut off by a deep roar. The two men looked around for the source and, to their amazement, saw the two massive Dragons, Ran and Shao, flying towards them.

Aang breathed a sigh of relief, pleased to see that the two Dragons were okay and in excellent-looking health.

The two Dragons landed around Aang and Zuko, giving hums of greeting. But, what was really shocking was that, riding behind the red Dragon, Shao's head was the Sun Warrior Chief.

"I didn't know you were spiritually bound to Shao!" Aang gasped as the Sun Warrior got down from his seat.

The Sun Warrior Chief bowed to them. "No, I am not bound to these Dragons. Shao carries me of her own free will."

Aang noticed the Sun Chief's use of the feminine pronoun when he talked about Shao. _Come to think of it, we never heard them called anything except their names or 'The Masters'._ Aang realized. He didn't pretend to be an expert at recognizing the differences between Dragon genders, but he always assumed that the Dragons were male.

"Wait. Shao is female? Is Ran a male? Can they breed?" Aang asked excitedly.

The blue Dragon, Ran, growled venomously, causing Aang to back away from the angered Dragon. The Sun Chief spoke. "Ran is female. But even if she were male, she cannot mate with Shao because Ran is Shao's daughter." Shao released a gentle growl, almost a purr. "Shao's mate was killed by a zealous Firebender in my grandfather's time, but not before they had one egg: Ran."

"That's terrible." Aang said, glancing over at Appa. The Dragons _were_ going the same way as the Sky Bison. Appa couldn't breed by himself, and neither could mother and daughter mate. It was only a matter of time before the two species were extinct at this rate. "So… why did you say that hope had awoken?"

"It has." The Sun Chief said. "Do you remember your trip to our ruins six years ago?"

"Of course." Aang and Zuko answered.

"What do you recall of our Sun Stone?"

Zuko blinked. "It was golden, egg-shaped, and about this big." Zuko mimed the stone's size with his hands. "It was also warm to the touch."

"Do you want to know why we guarded the Sun Stone so fiercely?" The Sun Chief asked. Aang and Zuko glanced at each other. The Sun Chief whistled, and the Avatar and the Firelord gasped in shock. A third Dragon moved out from behind Shao, so small in comparison that the large red Dragon's bulk completely hid it. It stood almost as tall as the men, but was many times longer. It was a beautiful golden color.

Aang stared in shock. "I can't believe it! A young Dragon!"

"Indeed. The Sun Stone was not a stone at all, but an egg. It was the last dragon egg known in existence. But shortly after you left us, Kin hatched. He is now the only male dragon in the entire world."

"This is wonderful! A male dragon!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Indeed, the hope for the Dragons rebirth has been realized. Ran has agreed to become Kin's mate once he matures for the good of the species. May the Spirits will the Dragons return to the world." The Sun Chief said, bowing to Aang, as if appealing to the Bridge between the Physical World and the Spirit World would influence the spirits to help the Dragons come back. "However, we have an issue to deal with right now."

"I suppose I should make Dragon-hunting illegal now." Zuko commented, and Aang nodded in agreement.

"Firelord Zuko… Avatar Aang?" The Sun Chief spoke to get their attention. "Kin has a spiritual bond forming with someone."

"Who?" Aang asked.

"We believe it is with you, Firelord Zuko." The Sun Chief said, glancing at Zuko, whose eyes had gotten impossibly wide. "You two were the first to come in contact with the egg in many years, it hatched after you arrived, and has not taken to anyone of my tribe. And it could not be Avatar Aang because you all ready have a spiritual bond."

"Me? Spiritually bound to a Dragon?" Zuko gasped. "But I hardly know anything about spiritual bonds!"

"Perhaps I can find out if Zuko is really bonded with the Dragon?" Aang pointed out. "I can read Kin's energy and see who he is most strongly connected to." Aang said, cautiously approaching the golden Dragon. Kin hissed slightly and took a step back from Aang, but he eventually allowed the Avatar to approach.

Aang reached up and touched the Dragon in the middle of its scaled forehead, and the Avatar closed his eyes to focus on the Dragon's flow of Chi.

The Dragon's Chi flowed differently from humans, so it took a while for him to understand and read the Dragon, but he was eventually able to figure it out.

The Dragon had connections of various strength to everyone in the clearing. Aang's own connection was the weakest, because it was a reflection of the simple understanding that all having a bond share. The Dragon's connections with the Sun Chief and Shao were stronger. Kin saw them as parental figures, even though neither were his parents. Ran's connection was the next strongest, though it was mostly one-sided from her at the moment. Ran desperately wanted a mate and hatchlings, and she ached that she had to wait for Kin to mature. Aang also picked up a little something about a Dragon's views on handsomeness. Ran found the color of Kin's scales to be deeply attractive. Aang blushed.

The last connection was definitely a Spiritual Bond. The other bonds were like simple strings attaching everyone to the Dragon. The last bond was vast, active, and pulsed faintly, signaling the meeting of two spirits. And just as the Sun Warrior Chief guessed, the bond connected Kin to Zuko.

"Yes, Kin has definitely been bound to Zuko." Aang said. "But the Bond is incomplete." He looked over at the Sun Chief. "Do you know how to finalize a bond with a Dragon?"

The Chief shook his head. "That knowledge has been lost. Soon after the Dragons were nearly, our mystic who kept the knowledge passed away unexpectedly before he could pass the knowledge on to his heir."

"Well, I suppose we could try the method that my people used on the Sky Bison." Aang said. "Do we have any meat?"

"But I thought you were a vegetarian?" Zuko pointed out.

"I am. But Dragons aren't." Aang said. "When I was bound to Appa, we gave apples as offerings. The Sky Bison could sense the bond right away, but it takes a focused mind for a human to sense it. So we offered the apples to the Bison until one of them accepted the apple. Appa was the first Bison I tried because I could feel the bond. He accepted my offering and the bond was finalized."

"This bond… what is it, exactly?" Zuko asked.

"It's like… it's a melding of spirits." Aang explained. "I can tell when Appa is nearby, even if I can't see him. I can usually pick up on Appa's emotions and intentions. And when we make eye-contact, it's like I can tell what he's thinking. But it works two ways. Appa and I probably know each other as well as anyone could. So, we'll need some sort of meat as an offering."

The Sun Warrior Chief nodded. "It is worth a shot. Shao?" They turned to the red Dragon took to the sky. "She'll bring something back."

While Shao was off hunting, the Sun Chief stroked Kin to calm him down, and Aang tried to explain to Zuko about the Bond and what it would be like.

Several minutes later, Shao returned with something that looked like a young platypus-bear clutched in her front claws.

Aang almost lost his dinner on the spot. Sokka had learned pretty early on in their travels that, while Aang didn't try to stop the others from eating meat around him, the sight of the bloody kills made him physically ill. Cleaned and processed meat was one thing, but this was an intact kill still dripping blood and the animal's final terror still plain on its face.

The iron smell of warm blood made Aang retch, and Zuko noticed. "Aang? Are you all right?"

"No." Aang said. "I can't… I have to leave. Can you please take it from her?" Aang asked the Sun Chief desperately.

The Sun Warrior Chief nodded. "Of course."

"As soon as Aang got that reassurance, he rushed off into the darkness, followed closely by the sound of the Avatar losing his dinner violently in the bushes.

"Is the Avatar all right?" The Sun Chief asked, concerned.

"Yes and no." Zuko said. "He has no illness, but seeing death like this disturbs him. He's the Avatar, but he was a monk first, and they love life. I mean, he made it through the war with no blood on his hands."

"How long will it last?" The Sun Chief asked. "I know of no Avatar who lived their whole lives without killing."

"If it happened, Aang would get really messed up. But, if it does, it will be an accident too. And Aang will go to extreme lengths rather than kill. Look at my father. He put his soul _and_ immortal spirit on the line to break him when it would have been so much easier to just kill him. I would have just killed him…"

"True strength is the ability to stand firm in your beliefs even in the face of adversity. To refuse to kill even when facing an enemy that would kill without a second thought shows that the Avatar has strength that is not seen often in the world today." The Sun Chief directed Zuko to cut off a decent-sized piece of the platypus-bear, which Zuko did, a little clumsily with a borrowed knife.

At the Sun Chief's signal, Zuko offered Kin the meat. The gold Dragon sniffed the meat and gazed at Zuko. Then he accepted the meat and swallowed it in a single gulp.

For several seconds, nothing happened, and then Zuko gasped. "Whoa!"

"Did it work?"

"I… I think so. What?" Zuko seemed distracted, like a person trying to participate in two different conversations at the same time.

"What do you feel?" The Sun Chief asked.

"Hunger, but not my own." Zuko said. "Oh Spirits, this is weird." Kin cocked his head slightly, gazing at Zuko curiously before moving over to the kill and tearing into the raw meat with gusto.

The Sun Warrior Chief finished by giving Zuko a talk on the care and feeding of a Dragon, the abridged version, and then bid the Firelord farewell. He mounted Shao, and the two large Dragons took off, leaving Zuko and Kin alone in the clearing.

"So, uh… come." Zuko told the Dragon, and it seemed to understand. Or, at least, Kin followed Zuko as he walked away.

Zuko found Aang with Appa. The young Avatar was leaning against Appa in a seemingly meditative state, except he looked more pale than usual.

"Aang?" Zuko called.

The young Avatar looked up. "Is it over?"

"Yes."

"Did it work?"

"I think so. I feel like… like there's another person inside my head." Zuko said.

Aang stood up, albeit a little shakily. "The bond worked, then." He said.

"But it's really distracting." Zuko said.

"It can be distracting at first." Aang admitted. "But it will eventually fade from your mind. It will be so constant that you'll hardly notice it. In fact, give it a few months, and you'll feel empty without it."

"I hope so."

Aang bowed to Kin in the traditional style of the Fire Nation. "Hello, Kin." The Avatar greeted, moving forward to pet the young Dragon.

Suddenly, Kin snarled at him and backed away. Aang quickly shot a glance at Zuko, who looked concerned, despite himself.

"Zuko, calm down." Aang said. "You know that I won't hurt Kin, but your nervousness is making him nervous."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know." Zuko said. Both he and Kin visibly relaxed. Only then was Aang able to pet Kin.

"Well, it's getting very late. And we should both head back to Ba Sing Se." Aang said, mounting Appa and taking the reins. While Kin was large enough to fly, he was still too young to carry a passenger, so Zuko climbed into Appa's saddle. Together, the small group took off for Ba Sing Se.

* * *

**LES: Zuko and the Sun Warrior Chief's discussion about the meaning of courage was inspired by a discussion I had with a fan about whether Aang's actions in the Finale (specifically not killing Ozai) was a sign of courage or an act of cowardice. Needless to say, I saw Aang's actions as very courageous, and this fan saw Aang's actions as cowardly. This debate lasted several days, and this fan was a great opponent, but I eventually won. Or, at least this fan said that I was 'kicking their butt.' And if you're reading this, thanks for the debate! I don't feel right about my theories unless I can successfully debate my point of view, and it wasn't like you didn't make many good points. But I do firmly believe that Aang was very courageous. (shakes fan's hand) Thanks once again. And as to what my Dad realized that I didn't…**

**Dad: That's a dragon egg, isn't it?**

**Me: (opens mouth to say 'no', and then pauses and thinks) Wait a minute…**

**LES: LOL!**

* * *

**Name meanings:**

**Kin: Japanese unisex name meaning 'gold'.**


	23. Fatherhood Redux

**LES: This story picks up again three months later. You know what this means?**

**Muse: Aang's illegitimate children are going to be born?**

**LES: Oh, hello, Muse. Nice to see you again.**

**Muse: The feeling is **_**not**_** mutual, believe me! (Flips the birdie at LES)**

**LES: I love you too. And, yes, for lack of a better way of putting it, Aang's first illegitimate child will be born in this chapter. Aang is in the Fire Nation and only one woman has been given a name so far. So I'll bet you can guess who it is. I still can't believe that I've cheated this bad on my OTP. I guess I love Murphy's Law more than I love Kataang. Oh, and by the way, I'm sure you've noticed that this hasn't been updated in a while. I've been **_**really**_** stressed the last few weeks. (And I mean **_**REALLY**_** stressed! Read my story "I Hate You, Dad", and maybe you can figure out why.) My life has been turned upside down and inside out, so don't expect regular updates. No, I'm not stopping; I'm just not going to be updating a chapter a week anymore. Thanks in advance for your patience.**

**Another removed Lemon in this chapter.  
**

* * *

**Chapter XXIII: Fatherhood Redux**

Aang could never say with words how much he loved his family. Perhaps it was because he grew up in a very non-traditional family, but he strived to be the sort of father to his son that his own unknown father could not be to him.

Fatherhood was a constant challenge to the young Avatar. His duties as the Avatar often interfered with his duties as a family man. It seemed that every moment not spent with his son was spent working desperately to catch up on his work.

And that was what he was trying to do now. He was in the Fire Nation, having just finished the Summer Solstice meeting, studying the topics that had been brought up.

The biggest issue was, by far, the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Since the War ended, the Earth Kingdom had been fairly tolerant of the colonies. But, both the Earth Kingdom and the colonists themselves wanted things to change.

The Earth Kingdom found it impossible to keep order within their own borders because of Fire Nation involvement, and the colonists were looked down upon by their Earth Kingdom neighbors because of the war. No one was very happy, and violence had begun to break out.

Aang wanted the colonies disbanded, but he also didn't want to uproot people from their homes, jobs, and lives without helping them resettle.

But, at the same time, he found it nearly impossible to concentrate on the problem at hand because he found himself watching as his wife and son played on the floor nearby.

Before he knew it, he had spent more time watching them than reading his notes. Finally, he gave up the parchment as a bad job and got up to join his wife on the floor with their son.

He leaned into her and pressed a tender kiss to her throat, and Katara giggled. "Aang, I thought you were working?"

"Something distracted me." Aang replied. "I couldn't concentrate."

Katara laughed. "You are so bad."

"Guilty as charged." Aang responded, kissing her soundly.

The melded together perfectly, drinking deeply of each other and their shared passion. However, she pulled away from him abruptly. "Okay, so what's the problem?"

Aang grinned at her, and then scooped up Anil into his arms. "It's the colonies." Aang said. "They need to be disbanded and the Earth Kingdom needs to regain control of its territory, but I don't know how we can do that. It's not like we can tell these people to pack up and move. Some of these colonies have been established since before I was born. Some of them have never known the Fire Nation, and would be looked down upon if they went back." Aang had first-hand experience with how Fire Nation natives treated 'colonials'. "Besides, the Fire Nation cannot afford to build homes for all of them. We are talking about hundreds of people that need to be relocated. I don't know if it's possible."

Katara thought about the problem for a moment. "So, the problem is that they have nowhere to go?"

"Yes." Aang said.

"Aang, would you be willing to give up the Western Air Temple?" Katara asked. Aang didn't respond, so Katara continued. "The Temple is geographically located in the Fire Nation, so Zuko could rule them without intruding upon another government. The Temple has more than enough room for everyone. Either you or some Earthbenders could make it livable again."

Aang thought about Katara's suggestion. It certainly was a good idea, but he was still reluctant to allow another group to move into one of the Air Temples. The Earth Kingdom refugees who lived in the Northern Air Temple had nearly destroyed it. But they had learned their lesson, and were now working to restore the Temple to its former glory.

"Katara, it's a good idea, but I don't want another Northern Air Temple." Aang said.

"It won't be another Northern Air Temple." Katara said. "They will know to respect the Temple, and Zuko will make sure they don't change it too much."

Aang sighed. "I'm sorry; I know I'm just being stupid. But change is hard."

"It is hard." Katara agreed. "But that doesn't always mean that it's a bad thing."

"You're right, Katara, as usual." Aang said. "The Temples need to be lived in again, or they will crumble to dust." He smiled at his wife. "When did you become so much wiser than me?"

"I've always been wiser than you. You just didn't know it." Katara said playfully, kissing him.

"I'll bet." Aang responded with equal playfulness, returning her kiss thoroughly.

Katara scooted closer to him, and gazed down at the child in his arms. She gently smoothed down Anil's hair and the boy responded to the attention with a little squeal of happiness. "He's gotten so big." She said.

"Yeah." Aang agreed. "I can't believe he'll be a year old this autumn. Time has flown by so quickly."

"It has flown by quickly. And it will continue to fly by quickly." Katara said. "Before we know it, Anil will grow up and begin his own life… leave us and fall in love and have children of his own." Aang leaned into his wife with a depressed sigh. "But we have him now, and we can have more."

Aang glanced at Katara, able to hear the longing in her voice. "More? Now? Are you sure?"

Katara smiled at Aang. "I've told you before, I want children. I love children. Besides…" She smiled at Anil, who returned her smile widely. "Don't you think we made a beautiful child together?"

Aang smiled. "Of course."

"Maybe we can have a girl this time." Katara mused.

"You're serious…" Aang realized with a laugh. "I thought you'd want to wait a little longer before we have more children. I thought that was the point of the Earth King's plan, so that you didn't have to spend all your childbearing years pregnant." He kissed her. "If you want to have another baby now, then I'm all for that. But I don't want you to feel pressured to have as many children as possible."

Katara sighed. "You're right. Besides, if we wait until winter, the child will be born in autumn and be another Airbender. But, you know what, that doesn't have to stop us from having 'fun'." She whispered in his ear seductively.

Aang smiled. "You know me, Katara. I'm always up for a little 'fun'."

"Here." Katara said, holding out her arms for Anil. Aang carefully passed the infant over with the thought that Katara was going to put him down for a nap so that they could have their 'fun'. But, to Aang's surprise, Katara held Anil so that they were face-to-face, and slowly said: "Can you say 'Mama'? Mama?" Anil defied her attempts to get him to say 'Mama' by releasing a loud giggle and waving his small arms in Katara's face.

Aang laughed and shook his head. He just _had_ to marry a tease! But it didn't matter. He loved her. He moved closer to her. "You're doing that wrong." He said. "It's like this: Anil, can you say 'Dada'?"

Katara elbowed him slightly. She gave him a smoldering glance that said, 'Later, our fun will be later.'

Glad that he was going to eventually have private time with his wife, he gladly joined in the game of trying to get Anil to talk rather than make the usual baby-babble.

* * *

They weren't able to make Anil say anything recognizable before it was time for his nap. Katara quickly put him to sleep and gave her husband a sly grin. 'Now.' Her eyes said.

Aang bowed to her wishes without complaint. However, he took a quick moment to check that the front door was firmly locked. Having Sokka walk in on him having sex with his wife once was more than enough for this lifetime; and Aang had no wish to repeat the experience. So he had made a habit, as more sexual active couples eventually do, of making sure that their 'alone time' was not interrupted.

As far as Aang knew, Sokka, Suki, and their daughter were at their villa, and his own villa was locked up. No one would be getting in unless Aang wanted them to, and no one would be getting that privilege tonight.

After locking the door, Aang scooped up his wife into his arms and carried her to the Master Bedroom in their Fire Nation villa. He kicked the door shut and deposited her on the large bed.

Katara quickly removed her robe, exposing her chest bindings. Those were quickly unraveled until her chest was exposed for her husband's eyes only.

Aang grinned at her and crawled onto the bed, paying homage to her body with hot kisses as he made his way up.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25248638468 / dvl - chapter - 23 - lemon

* * *

"I love you, Aang." Katara whispered against his lips breathlessly.

Aang smiled at her and brushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her face. "I love you too."

"Tired?" Katara asked with a smile. It was rather unnecessary question. Sex was exhausting, and being a parent was more exhausting. A combination of the two was overwhelming.

Aang nodded. "Yeah."

"Then sleep." Katara said, kissing his forehead.

The words were barely out of her mouth before Aang had drifted off to sleep. She chuckled and pressed herself into his warm body and soon joined him in sleep.

* * *

Aang and Katara were rather rudely awakened the next morning by someone pounding on their front door. The noise woke Anile and he began to shriek his displeasure at being woken up.

Both Aang and Katara groaned, equally upset at the early wake-up call. Aang rolled onto his back, a frown on his face. "What now?" He moaned to no one in particular.

"Get the door. I'll get Anil." Katara said, getting up and pulling on some clothes.

Aang reluctantly rolled out of bed and pulled on one of his simpler outfits, a replacement of his wrap tunic that only went around one shoulder and a simple pair of pants. He finished with the belt, tying the entire outfit in place.

Once he looked half-way decent, he unlocked the door and made his way to answer the front door. Whoever it was, he was _still_ knocking. Katara left the room after him, heading straight to their screaming son to calm him down.

"I'm coming!" Aang called as soon as he was within earshot of the door. Thankfully, the knocking stopped.

_The world had better be ending._ Aang thought venomously as he opened the door. As he expected, it was one of Zuko's messengers. "You're awfully early." Aang commented. "I thought I told Zuko I'd talk to him this afternoon."

"Lord Avatar, I did come from Firelord Zuko, but my message is not a political one." The messenger said.

"Then can't it wait? You woke up my son." Aang said.

"My apologies, Lord Avatar." The messenger said. "But it's urgent."

"Fine." Aang sighed. "What's the message?"

"Firelord Zuko has urged you to come to the Palace as soon as possible. Lady Nera has given birth."

That managed to wake the young Avatar up, and he finally gave the messenger the proper attention. He couldn't put a word to how he felt about this news. On the one hand, he felt nothing more for the Lady Nera than platonic respect. On the other hand, the child _was_ his. He couldn't know how he was supposed to feel about that, but above all, he felt the need to go to the Palace at that moment.

"Thank you for the message." Aang said. "I can find my way to the Palace myself."

The messenger bowed and left. Aang shut the door and walked quickly into Anil's room.

Katara glanced at him as he entered, still rocking Anil to calm him down. "What is it?"

"Zuko's cousin has given birth." Aang said. "I… I have to go there."

Katara nodded. "I understand. I'll come with you."

"You don't have to." Aang said.

"Aang, this is your child, my _husband's_ child." Katara said. "Just because this child wasn't born of me doesn't mean that I don't care about that part of you. Besides, in three years, the child will be ours to raise and I'll have to become like a mother to all your children. I'm coming with you." She finished firmly.

Aang sighed. "Okay."

* * *

The trip to the Firelord's Palace was a confusing one. Aang really had no idea how to feel about this child's birth. With Anil, he had been overwhelmingly happy, but now…

Aang owed Katara a lot, because her happiness let him know that it was okay to feel happy too. And he was happy. This child was as much his as Anil was. The only difference was that this child had not been born of his wife. That did not make him love the child any less.

The family arrived outside the Palace, and they were quickly greeted by one of Zuko's staff.

"Lord Avatar and Lady Katara…" The servant bowed deeply. "We've been expecting your arrival. This way, please." The servant began to lead them through the ornate Palace.

The couple followed quietly with Katara holding Anil, until they saw Mai standing alone in the hallway.

"Hello, Mai." Aang called, passing the servant and walking up to the Firelady.

Out of their group of friends, Mai's change had probably been the most radical. Back in the old days, Aang never saw her smile or express any emotion besides disinterest. Aang had literally done a double-take the first time he saw her smiling, soon after Zuko's coronation. She hadn't looked like the same woman who had attacked them on multiple occasions. But, now, she seemed like she was back to her reserved self.

"Hello, Aang… Katara. If you're looking for Zuko and Nera, they are inside." She pointed to the door across from her.

"Thanks, Mai." Aang placed his hand on the door, but hesitated before opening it. Katara could see his hand shaking.

She shifted Anil to her hip and placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "I'm right here with you." She said.

Aang glanced around at her and smiled weakly. With her support, he opened the door and entered the room.

There were all ready a few people in the room. Firelord Zuko was there, probably to provide support for his cousin and to see the child that was at once his newest relative and his friend's child.

There was an older man that Aang didn't know. But, judging by the way he stood at Lady Nera's shoulder, he was her husband.

Aang couldn't stop himself from staring in shock. He had heard that Lady Nera's husband was older than her, but he never imagined such a vast age difference. He looked old enough to be her father! His hair was all ready mostly grey!

Aang realized that he didn't really have it all that bad when people pointed out his and Katara's age difference. There were always people who were disturbed by the fact that he was both two years younger and ninety-eight years older than her at the same time. A biological age difference of two years was probably nothing compared to the age difference between Nera and her husband.

Lady Nera herself was in the center of the room, holding the child in her arms.

Aang stood frozen in the doorway and Zuko walked over to Aang, putting a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Congratulations." He said.

"There's really nothing to congratulate me for." Aang said quietly.

As Katara walked into the room, the older man walked over to Aang, bowing in respect. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Avatar Aang. I am Lord Yee, Nera's husband."

Aang stiffly returned Lord Yee's bow. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Now, Avatar, you don't have to be like that! We're practically family now… in the loosest sense of the term, of course!"

_Not family enough to call me by my name._ Aang thought to himself as Yee continued talking.

"Believe me, this is quite an honor. Of course, if you weren't the Avatar, and you did this behind my back, I'd probably have to punch you. But that's water under the bridge, right?"

For Aang, one of the hardest things about growing up a century ago was the changes in slang and expressions. So he gave an uncertain positive reply while trying to figure out what he meant by 'water under the bridge'.

Lord Yee quickly bowed to Katara and then returned to his wife. Aang reluctantly took the place that Zuko had vacated on Nera's other side across from Yee, and gazed down at that child.

Unlike Anil, who had strong Air Nomad features aside from his skin tone, this child was very strongly Fire Nation. Aang couldn't see any of himself in the child aside from the fact that the child was a little smaller than the average newborn baby.

"It's a boy." Nera said. "Are you pleased, Lord Avatar?"

"Of course, I'm pleased." Aang said, gently taking the boy from Nera. "This is my son. How could I not be pleased?"

Katara walked up next to her husband, gazing at the boy. "Lots of Fire Nation features in him: golden eyes and darker skin tone. Oh! But look, Aang, he has your nose!"

And so he did.

"Have you picked a name?" Aang asked. It was one of the last-minute agreements between Aang and the women. They could pick the names, if they wanted. It seemed only right since the child would be theirs for three years.

"With your permission, Lord Avatar, I would like to name the baby Sho." Nera said. "It means 'to fly' or 'to soar'. It seems appropriate for a possible Airbender."

"Very appropriate." Aang agreed.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Aang saw Zuko and Lord Yee talking quietly. Zuko passed the older man a chest, probably with the titles and monetary compensation that was promised to the women's families. Lord Yee made a big show of the fact that he was simply doing his duty to restore balance, but he was still quick to accept the chest.

_He doesn't seem to care about how this child came to be, only that he is connected to me rather distantly now._ Aang thought to himself. _I wonder if all the women's husbands will be like this, or if it's just an upper-class thing._

* * *

**LES: Is Yee a jerk? Sorta. He's one of those nobles who are mostly concerned with upping his own status. He married Nera because she was a member of the royal family by marriage and she's the great-granddaughter of Avatar Roku. But, you know what? I don't really care about him. He didn't even have a name until I actually needed it. But, I suck at names anyway.**

**Sho: A Japanese name meaning 'to fly, to soar' or 'wind instrument'.**


	24. Conflict of Elements

**LES: I'm not too fond of this chapter. The first time I wrote it, it was so choppy. It was totally obvious that I changed my mind about the direction of the chapter three times while writing. I tried to smooth it out, but I still do not like it too much. Don't worry, the next chapter will be better.**

**Chapter XXIV: Conflict of Elements**

* * *

The next day, Sokka, Suki, their daughter Michiko, and Toph went with Aang, Katara, and Anil to see Aang's newest child. Sokka came with only one grumble about Fire Nation babies, and Suki subsequently smacking him upside the head.

This time, Aang and Katara had Sho to themselves, so it was much easier for Aang to start bonding with his son.

"He really is cute." Katara said.

"But not as cute as Anil is, right?" Suki asked.

"Mother bias." Katara said. "But Sho is still adorable. He has really beautiful golden eyes and Aang's nose."

"Which is just another way of saying there ain't a lot of Aang in him." Sokka translated.

Suki glared at her husband. "Are you _trying_ to find new ways to get smacked?"

"Geez, Suki, it's not like I'm trying to imply that the kid is not Aang's…" Sokka immediately trailed off, glancing nervously at the Avatar.

Aang sighed. "It's all right, Sokka." He said, staring down at the infant in his arms. "This was so much easier with Anil. With Anil, I was at Katara's side through the whole pregnancy and was as eager as her for him to be born. But now this baby has been given to me. It's not easy to make the same connection."

Katara placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "It's because you weren't there during the pregnancy." She said. "Just give it some time."

"I wonder if the other women have given birth yet." Aang wondered out loud, and then trailed off. Katara glanced at Aang with worry. He had been acting strangely all morning, and Katara could not figure out why.

"How many women did you get pregnant again, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.

"Five." Aang answered. "Both women from the Water Tribe, and both women from the Fire Nation, but only one from the Earth Kingdom." He paused thoughtfully again. "I'm worried about her."

"Who?" Sokka asked.

"Ming. The Earth Kingdom woman carrying my child." Aang said. "I've had more bad updates about her than all the other women combined. The pregnancy is hard on her. The Earth King has even begun offering her family greater compensation in the event of her…" He trailed off. He had just heard the news from Zuko that morning, and was still stewing over it.

"Aang, do they think the pregnancy is a danger to her life?" Katara asked.

Aang stared down at Sho. He knew that it was extremely important to stay and try to bond with Sho, but he couldn't abandon his child's life… or Ming's life. "I have to go to Ba Sing Se… today. Maybe I can help. Will you come with me?"

Katara kissed Aang. "There was never any question."

* * *

As soon as Lady Nera and her husband returned for Sho, Aang gave them his apologies, but it was necessary for him to leave. They accepted the child and assured Aang that he could visit any time he was in the Fire Nation.

After that they said good-bye to Zuko and Mai, and left to get Appa.

The massive Sky Bison was on the Palace Grounds with Zuko's young dragon, Kin. Zuko had the dragon under constant protection since the dragon was too young to know his kind's form of Firebending. He and Aang had made the hunting of dragons illegal and punishable by death. (The punishment was Zuko's idea, not Aang's.)

Kin was still young and highly playful, crawling all over Appa, who tolerated the young dragon's antics.

The sight of Kin happy and well put Aang at ease, but he couldn't help growing even more worried about the fate of the Sky Bison. Now that the Airbenders were coming back, Aang's next priority was to work on saving the Sky Bison. A several year old world-wide decree in Aang's name was still standing, calling all people to be on the lookout for any possible Sky Bison. But, so far, it had yielded only false claims.

Aang petted Appa, and raised an earthen platform so that everyone could get into Appa's saddle. Once everyone was settled, Aang leapt onto Appa's head and took the reins. "To Ba Sing Se, Appa. Yip-yip!" He said, and Appa took off quickly.

* * *

Late that night, Aang gave up his spot on Appa's head to Sokka so that he could get some sleep.

Aang slept against Katara, but no one else could sleep.

"It's strange, don't you think?" Katara spoke. "Four pregnancies go well and are about as easy as pregnancies can be, but one goes completely wrong."

"It's probably not that unusual." Sokka said. "With that many pregnancies, odds are that at least one of them will go wrong."

"I don't know. Maybe there is something to this." Toph said. "Think about it. The Fire Nation offered two women. Both got pregnant and had easy pregnancies. Fire and Air are compatible elements because fire cannot exist without air. There were three Water Tribe women, including Katara. All three got pregnant and had easy pregnancies."

"That's easy for someone who's never been pregnant to say." Katara said.

"I mean there were no complications." Toph corrected. "Water and Air are also compatible elements. They are mixed together so thoroughly that you can't have one without the other."

Katara thought about when Hama showed her that a skilled Waterbender could pull water out of thin air. And also the time that Aang showed her that he could use a combination of Waterbending and Airbending to breathe underwater.

"But, for the Earth Kingdom, two women were offered. One didn't become pregnant, and the other is having a difficult pregnancy. Earth and Air are opposites. There is obviously an elemental compatibility issue going on here."

"You know, that actually makes sense." Sokka said. "Cross-cultural marriages are rare, and marriages between opposing nations are even rarer."

"Well, yeah." Katara said. "The Air Nomads are practically gone, so the Earth Kingdom people can't marry them. And the Fire Nation and Water Tribe have hated each other for over a century. It's going to take many years for us to forgive the Fire Nation enough to start allowing marriages between our two nations… if it ever even comes to that."

"Exactly, there's nothing to disprove the theory." Sokka said smugly.

"You can't say that!" Katara said. "Besides, this is an innocent child we are talking about!"

"We're not hoping the baby is going to die." Toph said quickly.

"Maybe it will just be a non-Bender. You know two opposing forces will cancel each other out." Sokka said.

"I hope so." Katara said, gazing at Aang. She knew that he would be devastated to lose a child, so she silently prayed to the Spirits to have mercy on the poor innocent child.

* * *

They arrived in Ba Sing Se the next day, and Aang regretfully turned down the Earth King's invitation to join him for lunch at the Palace in favor of going to see Ming.

Unbeknownst to the Earth King, the members of the White Lotus were keeping their eyes on all the women since they knew the incredible importance of the children carried by them. Ming was a native from Ba Sing Se, so Iroh was the one who was watching over her.

So Aang's first stop was to The Jasmine Dragon.

Iroh greeted them warmly as they entered and exclaimed about how big Anil was getting. Once the Dragon of the West had finished tickling under Anil's chin, making the young boy giggle and squeal, he turned his attention to Aang. "I suppose you are here for Ming?"

"Yes. How is the baby? How is she?" Aang asked.

"The baby is yet to be born, but it should be within a few days." Iroh said. "But Ming fares poorly. She is ill, and I fear that if her illness continues, she will not be able to give birth."

Aang didn't say anything for several moments. "Are there any options for when a woman can't give birth?"

"None that allow the mother to survive." Iroh said. "The only other option is to cut out the baby."

Just the thought of cutting into someone made Aang sick. It made him even sicker to think that, if it came down to that, he wouldn't be able to save both. Either both would die, or just Ming would die. If he weren't an Air Nomad, Aang supposed it would be easy for him to say 'let the mother die for the child's sake'. But he couldn't in good conscience exchange one life for another.

"The illness. Perhaps it can be healed with Waterbending." Aang said.

Iroh shook his head. "I've all ready spoken to some White Lotus members who are healers from the Water Tribe. Their powers were not enough. They could only slow down the illness, not cure it."

"So… if Waterbending were more powerful, it might help?" Aang clarified.

"Theoretically." Iroh said.

"Then it is settled." Aang said. "I will attempt to heal her."

At first, Katara thought that he had misheard her husband. But one look at his face confirmed that he was serious. "Aang, you can't possibly…"

"I've used healing powers before." Aang pointed out.

"To heal wounds." Katara finished. "Healing wounds and curing illness are two entirely different matters! Curing an illness takes advanced knowledge of the flow of Chi within a person's body. Even I can't heal much more than a cough of a fever."

"But I do have advanced knowledge of Chi flow." Aang said, taking her in his arms. "I have to try, Katara. I can't just sit back and let someone die when I may have the power to help them."

Katara sighed. "Fine. But I still think an experienced healer should watch over you, in case something starts to go wrong."

"Okay." Aang agreed. "Iroh?"

Iroh nodded. "I'll get one of my friends from the White Lotus and lead you to her."

* * *

Iroh, the White Lotus healer from the Water Tribe, Aang, and Katara walked into a house in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.

The healer led Aang into one of the backrooms. As soon as he saw her, he knew that it was bad.

She looked so bad; Aang thought she was all ready in labor. She was pale and gasping for breath, and a cold sweat poured heavily down her face. Another healer stood over her, running glowing water over her to slow the progression as much as possible.

Aang moved forward quickly. "Was I too late? Is she in labor?"

"My Lord Avatar," The healer acknowledged without looking up at him. Aang didn't mind, since she was busy concentrating on her patient. "This is not labor. Her illness drains her like labor, but this has gone on for weeks rather than hours."

Aang drew some water from the source the healers were using. "Stand aside." He said.

The healer stared at him, confused, and then bowed as she backed away from the sick woman.

Aang stepped next to her. She was so ill that she was incoherent. She probably didn't even know that he was there. He held the water over her in preparation for Bending. He closed his eyes and, using slow and deliberate movements, slowly traced the Chi paths of her body, searching for any blocks or disruptions.

As he suspected, there was a massive energy block around her womb. Aang furrowed his eyebrows. "This is my fault. Because of the opposing nature of our elemental heritage, her body views the baby as a foreign object to be eliminated, like a growth eating away at her from the inside. But there is something else at work here, something spiritual. The unborn child has the protection of the Spirits. Now she is at war within herself. Let me see if I can…" The water began to glow silver as he infused it with healing powers. Several seconds later, the water stopped glowing.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

"The block is still too strong." Aang said. "I'll have to use the Avatar State." He closed his eyes once again and focused his power. He opened his eyes just as the brief glow of his eyes and tattoos flared. The water was infused with the healing power of the Avatar Spirit, and the water began to glow, much brighter than normal.

Katara gasped out loud when she saw this. She was the only one in the room able to recognize what had just happened. After all, the only other person in the room that had been there when she last saw water like this had been dead at the time.

"It's Spirit Water!" Katara gasped. "Aang! You are able to create your own Spirit Water!"

"Spirit Water?" Aang asked, staring at the glowing water. "You mean the water you used to… 'heal' me after Azula shot me with lightning?"

"Spirit Water is typically water that has been blessed by the Moon and Ocean Spirits, allowing it to gain powerful abilities in times of need." The Northern Healer said. "However, legend says that the Spirit of the Planet was the source of all the other spirits' powers. So it makes sense that the Avatar would retain some of the Spirit's powers."

Aang concentrated on repairing the energy around Ming's womb. To his relief, her pain ended and she was all ready looking much better. But he knew that this was just temporary. He had, perhaps, given her and the baby one day. "Katara… is there any way to cause labor to begin unnaturally?"

"A few ways." Katara said. "The easiest way is with an herbal mixture, but it's usually only used on women who are overdue."

"The baby doesn't have that long." Aang said. "The sooner the baby is born, the better."

"We understand, Lord Avatar." One of the healers said, examining Aang's handiwork. "You destroyed the spiritual protections around the unborn child. She is no longer at war within herself, but now her body is free to attack the baby."

Aang hung his head. "It was all I could do."

"You did the right thing. At least now they both have a chance at surviving." The healer said, turning to the other. "Get the herbs mixed and ready. We're going to induce labor and speed it up as much as possible. Avatar Aang, perhaps you could make some more Spirit Water before you leave… in case we need it?"

Aang nodded and quickly converted the remaining water into Spirit Water, and left with Katara.

The Gang waited outside. "Is she all right?" Suki asked, holding Anil.

"Aang was able to temporarily relieve her pain, but they are inducing her labor right now." Katara said, taking her son.

"Inducing labor?" Toph questioned.

"It means forcing labor to begin so that the baby is born on our terms." Katara said.

"I can't be here." Aang said suddenly, shocking everyone. "I can't do this… not again."

"Okay, then we'll walk around the city and get some fresh air." Katara said optimistically.

The group agreed, and wordlessly followed Katara down the street.

* * *

They eventually made it to a small park in the Middle Ring. They decided to stop and spend some time together as a family. Or, as much as they could with people pointing at them excitedly. Aang was impossible to hide, after all. And after they noticed Aang, his family was impossible to miss.

Despite knowing that he should feel stressed, it had been a long time since he had felt so carefree.

It was an unusually cool summer day, so it was absolutely perfect in the shade. He smiled to himself as he watched Katara with their son. She held him so that he was on his feet, but she was still supporting him. He still wasn't ready to take his first steps, but Katara said that it was only a few weeks away now.

Aang sighed. He was getting bigger so fast. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he was a tiny newborn. And now he was crawling, scooting, and standing on his own.

Katara let go of him, and he stayed balanced for several moments before falling on his rear and converting to his standard mode of movement: crawling.

Within moments, he was at his father's side. Aang smiled and lifted the boy so that he could sit on his chest.

Anil leaned forward and grabbed Aang's nose, and laughed. Katara also laughed, leaning over to pry Anil off Aang's face. "Anil! We don't grab dada's nose!" She scolded playfully.

Anil squealed, and to the shock of everyone in the group… "Dada!"

Both Aang and Katara froze as he repeated the word twice more.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other. "Did he just…?" Aang began.

"He did!" Katara embraced her son. "Oh, Anil! Your first word!"

Aang joined in the embrace. "I'm his first word!" He whispered to himself in amazement.

Obviously realizing that he had done something pleasing, Anil repeated "Dada" over and over again.

People who were near-by shouted their congratulations to the young parents while others rapidly spread the news about Anil's first word, which was still being parroted by the boy.

"He's not going to shut up now, is he?" Sokka asked, holding his daughter.

"He just knows that he's done something good." Katara said.

"Got that right." Aang said, taking the boy from Katara. "That's right, Little Man. I'm your Dada."

Katara leaned closer to him. "That's right, you are." She kissed him.

Several moments later, Anil realized that his parent's attention wasn't on him anymore, and he fell asleep against his father's chest.

However, Aang and Katara's small moment was interrupted.

"Um, excuse me, Avatar Aang?" A voice said. Aang sighed, and pulled away from his wife. It was probably just some fan.

He carefully held his sleeping son to his chest so that the boy would be undisturbed when he moved, and he sat up, glancing at the strangely familiar woman. "Yes, can I help you?"

"I'm… I'm not sure if you remember me…" She began. "We met almost eight years ago… the Serpent's Pass?"

Both Aang and Katara were more attentive now. Upon hearing about the Serpent's Pass, they remembered her.

"Oh Spirits! I remember!" Katara gasped.

"Yes! You're Ying! Hope's mother!" Aang finished.

Katara stood and took her hand. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Likewise." Ying said. "So, I've heard all the good news. I mean… who hasn't?" She bowed to them. "Congratulations on your marriage and the birth of your son."

"Thank you." Aang and Katara replied, smiling.

"It couldn't have happened to two better people." Ying said. "Avatar Aang, you led us safely through the Serpent's Pass. We never would have made it to Ba Sing Se safely without your help. And Lady Katara, when I went into labor unexpectedly, you helped me deliver my baby. My family is in your debt."

"It was no problem at all." Aang said.

"How is Hope?" Katara asked.

"Oh, she's right over there." Ying pointed and called. "Hope! Come here! I want you to meet two very important people!"

Instantly, a young girl of seven years rushed over to her mother's side, and in the true fashion of a seven year old, said. "You have a big arrow painted on your head!"

Katara started laughing, while Ying gave her daughter the 'look'. Hope shrank under her mother's gaze, knowing that she had done something wrong. "Hope!"

"Sorry, Mama! Sorry, sir." She said, sounding contrite.

Aang joined in his wife's laughter. "It's all right." He said, knelling down. "I do have an arrow on my head, don't I? But it's not painted. It's a tattoo."

"You mean it's there forever?!" Hope gasped.

"Yes, it's there forever." Aang replied, staring at the girl in amazement. He had never really thought of how much he had grown since waking up in a war-torn world after a hundred years of being in the iceberg. After all, he was still in the prime of his youth at nineteen years old. But, looking at this girl, he realized that he had been there at her birth! He remembered the day she was born! And now she was seven years old. That made him feel ancient.

"Hope, can you guess who these people are?" Ying asked. Hope shrugged. "This is Avatar Aang and his wife, Lady Katara."

Hope looked at her mother. "Really?" Ying nodded, and the girl looked at Aang. "Mommy told me you were there when I was born, and that you helped name me!"

"I guess I did." Aang said thoughtfully. Hope had been named after Aang, who had been in the middle of an emotional collapse after losing Appa, had told the small family that seeing their love had given him hope again. Thus, they named their baby girl Hope.

"Can you really Bend all four elements?" Hope asked.

Aang laughed, and he told her that he could do that, and more. He handed Anil carefully to Katara to give the girl a short demonstration of his Bending abilities.

* * *

**LES: I'm going to end it there because this chapter was getting too long. I'm still flip-flopping about how big of a role I want Hope to have. She could just have this small cameo, or she could become a bigger character later on. Oh, and Aang feeling older from seeing Hope is based on my own experience with my twelve, nearly thirteen year old cousin. I was eight when he was born and I remember it. Now, seeing him as almost a teenager… it makes me feel old all the time! For God's sakes, I remember the sickingly cute nickname we gave him as a newborn! (One good thing: always reminding him that I knew him as a baby by calling him by said sickingly cute baby name.) Also, what is happening to Ming is somewhat based on what happened to me when my mother was pregnant with me. My mother and I have different blood types, so there was a chance that when my mother was pregnant with me, her body might see me as a foreign object and attack it. She had to take shots to suppress her immune system so that it wouldn't attack me.**


	25. The Shining One

**LES: I'm taking a break from fighting Racebenders to write this. Suffice to say, I haven't been convinced, and I'm in a bad mood. (Not just because of arguments, but with life in general.) Anyway, this is perhaps the only time I'll alter the meaning of a name. The origins will still be the same, but the literal meaning of the name will be slightly different. You'll see what I mean.**

**Chapter XXV: The Shining One**

* * *

They went out to dinner together, which is quite different from the romantic dates they had during their courtship or the early part of their marriage. Now they had Anil with them, so they took on the role of parents rather than lovers.

They got home late, and Anil had fallen asleep against Aang's chest. So they put him to bed and Katara fell asleep soon afterwards.

But Aang couldn't sleep. He could not stop worrying about his child. Everything was going wrong, and if he lost a child… he didn't know what he was going to do.

He thought he could hear the screams of a woman in childbirth, but he knew that was impossible, and that it was simply his overactive imagination.

This night, silence was his only company.

* * *

Aang didn't sleep that night, and Katara noticed his appearance the next morning. "Aang! You look terrible!" Katara gasped.

"I didn't sleep." Aang said. "I've been up all night, worrying."

Katara embraced him, and he buried his face against her neck. Ever so slowly, she pulled out of his arms and gave him a short kiss. "I'll ask Sokka and Suki to look after Anil and we'll go see how they are doing. They should be done by now."

Aang gave her one more through kiss. "Okay."

She returned his kiss, and they set out together.

* * *

They dropped off Anil and went to the house in the middle Ring together. They made it to the house a lot quicker than the day before because they now knew where it was.

Aang had always been sensitive to the environment, especially the feelings that prevailed the air; and the air inside the house was heavy and stale with illness and suffering.

The environment was oppressive.

One of the Water Tribe healers noticed Aang and his wife come in. She stood and bowed. "Lord Avatar and Lady Katara, we have been expecting you."

"How is the baby?" Aang asked desperately.

"Alive." The healer said. "It's a girl."

Aang sat down in a chair heavily. "A girl! I have a girl!"

"My Lord, she is alive, but it was awfully close, and we believe that she will never… be able to live a normal life."

"What do you mean? Is she going to be all right?" Aang asked.

"There is a strong possibility that she will spend the rest of her life sickly and bedridden." The healer said. "She may also end up dying young." At this news, Aang places his forehead in his palms in despair. "I'm sorry, Lord Avatar."

Aang took a shaky breath, and looked up at the healer. "Can I see her?"

"Yes, but there is one more thing you need to know." The healer said. "It appears that the large amount of Spirit Water we used during the birth has had an unexpected side-effect. Large amounts of Spirit Water always seem to affect a normal person's appearance. The former Princess Yue was bathed in Spirit Water when he was an infant and her hair turned white. But the effect on your daughter was different… maybe because the Spirit Water was created by you and not the Moon and the Ocean Spirits."

"What side-effects?" Katara asked.

"She's glowing." The healer said. "It's not a bright glow, and it has all ready dimmed since she was born, but it's still visible to the naked eye."

Aang seemed to be shaken for a moment before he accepted it. He didn't care about side-effects. All that mattered to him was if his daughter would live. She could glow like the sun, and she would still be his daughter. "Take me to her, now." Aang said.

The healer bowed again. "Of course, Lord Avatar." She said, leading him away. They passed Ming's room, and Aang glanced in. She was alive, asleep, but alive. And she all ready looked much healthier. "And how is Ming?"

"Tired, My Lord, as to be expected." The healer said. "But she'll recover, and she'll still be able to bare children. The Spirit Water healed her well."

They walked right past the room. "Why isn't my daughter in with her mother?" Aang asked.

"It was Lady Ming's request." The healer explained. "As soon as the child was born, she asked for her to be removed from the room without letting her see the girl."

That confused Aang. "Why?"

"I cannot presume to know what Lady Ming wants to do, but her actions are common for a woman about to give up her baby."

"But the laws that were made when this agreement was passed say that she can keep her for three years." Aang said.

"Unless…" Katara finished. "The child is freely given up. All she would need is a witness from the Council and she could give the baby to us early."

Aang sighed. "It is not certain yet. We'll reserve judgment until we know what Ming wants."

"Very well, Lord Avatar." The healer paused outside a door. "Your daughter is inside here."

After a moment's hesitation, Aang stepped inside. His daughter was being fed from a bottle by one of the healers, who looked up as Aang entered. "Just one moment, Lord Avatar, she's almost done. We have put out a call for a suitable wet nurse, but none has been found yet."

Katara almost volunteered herself. After all, Anile was nearing the age to be weaned, and she was still producing. But she didn't. She wasn't a wet nurse, and she would probably end up forming an emotional attachment to the baby. She didn't want to do that while the girl's fate was uncertain.

The healer set aside the bottle, signaling that the baby girl was finished, and Aang moved over to her swiftly.

He could tell the difference between her and Anil and Sho immediately. Anil and Sho had been born healthy and perfectly formed. This girl was painfully small, thin, and pale. And, Aang leaned in closer, she _was_ glowing. It was so faint that it was hard to notice in the brightly lit room, but Aang was sure that it would be very noticeable at night.

"Spirits." Aang whispered, taking her from the healer's arms. "I'm so sorry." He whispered to her, holding her close.

Katara moved closer to her husband to look at the girl. She had the same reaction as Aang. "Oh Spirits…" During the time she spent delivering babies at the South Pole, she had seen lots of babies born in different stages of health: from stillborn to healthy and strong. This baby was seriously undersize and underweight. Katara knew that if Gran-Gran were here, she would give this girl a few days… maybe a few weeks if she were lucky. But she couldn't say that to Aang… not about his daughter. So she simply embraced him.

After a few moments, the door opened, and the first healer stepped through the door. "My Lord? Lady Ming is awake, and she says that she wants to speak to you."

Aang nodded. "Okay." He said, carefully and reluctantly handing his ill daughter back to the healer. Once Aang was sure that she was back in good hands, he followed the healer back to Ming's room.

He stepped in and walked to her side. "Ming?"

The woman sighed, and didn't meet his eyes. "I have failed you, Lord Avatar."

"No. No, you haven't." Aang said. "You have given me a daughter."

"A sickly daughter." Ming corrected. "Even if she makes it out of infancy, she'll never be able to live a normal life. If she has Bending abilities, which is doubtful at this point, she'll never have the strength to train. She will be useless in bringing back the Air Nomads."

"She is not just a means to an end for me." Aang said. "She is my daughter; my flesh and blood, and above all, I want her to be happy. Bending abilities has nothing to do with happiness."

"That heartens me." Ming said. She looked at the healer. "Can you bring a member of the Council here?"

"Lady Ming, I am a member of the Council." The healer said, bowing. "I represent the Healers of the Northern Water Tribe before the National Council."

"Good." She sighed. "Avatar Aang, I willingly relinquish custody of my daughter into your care."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aang asked.

"I'm sure." Ming said. "It's just… too painful… to bear seeing her."

"It's has been witnessed." The healer said, adopting her role as Councilwoman. "From this moment on, your daughter will be in the care of Avatar Aang and his wife. If you wish, you may visit your daughter, but all her care will be given to her by the Avatar and his wife."

"It is done." Aang finished. "Do you want to name her?"

Ming tuned over. "She's your daughter." She said simply, and did not reply further.

"Very well." He said, stepping out of the room with the healer to join his wife.

"My Lord, if I may be as bold as to suggest a name…" The healer began. "Perhaps if you give her a name in honor of one of the great Spirits, they will show mercy on her."

"A Spirit name? Which Spirit?" Aang asked.

"The Sun Spirit."

Aang nodded. "Amaterasu."

"It means 'The Shining One'." The healer said.

"It certainly fits." Katara said. "Amaterasu. Ammy for short."

"The two women in my life… the moon and the sun." Aang muttered to himself. "It fits perfectly."

"Amaterasu, it is, then." The healer said.

They stepped back into the room, and this time, Katara took the newly named Amaterasu from the healer. "Her fate has been decided. She is mine and Aang's now. I'll feed her myself."

"Lady Katara, what about your son?" The healer asked.

"Anil is nearly old enough to be weaned." Katara said. "It will only take a few days for me to resume fully lactating again. But this is the best chance she has. The faster she gains weight, the better."

"Of course, My Lady." The healers said, leaving the room to give the family some privacy.

Aang leaned against the wall. "I can't believe I've caused this sort of suffering to my own daughter."

"Aang, you didn't cause this." Katara said. "There was no way you could have known."

"But what if she…?" Aang trailed off.

"Aang, we both are going to do everything we can for her." Katara said. "And… if it comes down to that, we'll make her as comfortable as possible." She stood and moved over to Aang's side. "I can't promise that everything will be all right, my love. But I promise that we'll make it through together."

Aang leaned his forehead against hers, and then they gazed down at Aang's daughter together. Katara tilted her head and kissed him.

He desperately returned the kiss, desperate for whatever comfort his wife could provide.

Suddenly, Amaterasu woke up and began to cry. Thanks to their experience with Anil, they learned to tell the difference between each of a newborn's cries. They recognized this one. She was hurting, sick, and in pain; and there was nothing her parents could do about it.

* * *

**LES: "Amaterasu" is probably the only time I'll change a name's meaning. Amaterasu is the Japanese Sun Goddess and it literally means "Shining Over the Heavens". But I changed it to "The Shining One". Please don't hate me. (Dodges rotten fruit). And the nickname "Ammy" comes from the videogame "Okami" where you play as he Avatar-wolf form of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Also, I've gotten a **_**lot**_** of criticism (not the bad kind) that maybe Katara's being too understanding of the fact that her husband is having children with other women. So I hope you noticed that Katara (and Aang) had next-to-no concern for Ming's health and only the baby's health. She does have unconscious feelings of resentment towards the women. However, those feelings do not, and will never, generalize to the children. They are innocent in all this, so there is no resentment towards the children because I don't condone punishment of the innocent. (Watching my parents have a nasty split up where my father blames the failures of his marriage on me and my sister really beat into me that you should never punish the innocent.) Anyway, that is my view on a complex psychological matter, and I respect that fact that people disagree with me on this. I only ask that you hang around long enough to see this story come to a head. XD**


	26. The Avatar's Family

**LES: Once again, it's been quite a while since I've updated. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten this story. Life has been up and down… unfortunately mostly down. So, you know what that means? More depressing chapters! Yay!**

**Chapter XXVI: The Avatar's Family**

Most of the time, when a young couple begins to raise a second child, they will feel more prepared. They will have all ready gone through the process of child-rearing once and they feel like they know what to expect.

Aang and Katara felt that for all about five minutes after Amaterasu was put into their care.

It quickly became apparent that Ammy was going to be very different from Anil.

Anil was a very laid-back baby. Sure, he had disrupted his parent's sleep plenty of times, but he did so about as much as the average baby. Overall, he had been very calm and laid-back.

Ammy was not calm or laid-back. The illness that consumed her tiny little body put her in constant pain, and there was little Aang or Katara could do for her.

Her first hour with her father and adopted mother was spent with Ammy screaming herself into exhaustion and falling asleep fitfully in Aang's arms.

Seeing his daughter in such pain was heartbreaking for the Avatar. It had been a long time since Katara had last seen her husband weep. But he wept now, for the sake of his poor, sickly daughter.

From that moment on, Aang and Katara had to split their attention between Anil and Ammy. Ammy required the most attention, so whoever wasn't tending to her looked after Anil.

Anil seemed distressed by the fact that he constantly lacked both of his parent's attention, and that he almost never saw them together anymore. In the weeks since Ammy had joined the family, he had learned the word 'Mama'.

Now he could call for both of his parents. So when Aang was with Ammy, he called 'Dada!' and when Katara was with Ammy, he called 'Mama!'

They learned of Ammy's Bending status much earlier than they did for Anil. Her illness made her much more prone to illness. When she was just a few weeks old, she got a cold and sneezed herself into unconsciousness. The air did not react at all to her sneezes. The conflicting elemental heritage of her parents had canceled out her Bending powers, and Ammy was a non-Bender.

That did not surprise her parents. Even if she had been born a Bender, it seemed unlikely that she would ever be strong enough to train in the art of Bending.

Her skin continued to glow, but most of the time, it was only visible at night. The people who noticed the glow knew better than to comment on it.

Many people were afraid that Ammy would not survive. But, against all odds, Ammy continued to survive as the weeks and months passed. She even managed to start gaining weight thanks to Katara. As the months passed, Ammy even began to have hours at a time where she didn't have any pain at all. During those times, Ammy was a relatively happy child.

Ammy wasn't the only one to change. Anil's first birthday approached, and it was quickly looking like one of the most highly anticipated day in the world.

The week leading up to Anil's birthday showed a new reason to celebrate within the Avatar's family.

Aang was currently taking care of Ammy, or really just making sure that she slept peacefully, when he heard Katara, who was watching Anil, call for him.

"Aang! Quickly! Come here!" Katara yelled.

Aang heeded her call and quickly rushed out of the room where Ammy slept out to the sitting room where Katara was playing with Anil. He didn't know what was going on, but there was no sound of fear in Katara's voice. He just prayed to the Spirits that his wife and son were okay.

He burst into the sitting room and quickly took everything in. The room was brightly lit with a lot of natural light through the large window that opened up onto the gardens of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. The room was beautifully furnished in the latest Earth Kingdom fashions, thanks to his wife's impeccable taste in such things. But Katara was not on the furniture, but sitting on the ground with their son. She held Anil gently by his little hands as she helped him stay balanced up-right.

"Katara, what's going on? Are you all right?" Aang asked in a rush.

"What? Oh, I'm fine, Aang." She replied. "Quick, sit on the ground over there!"

Aang obeyed her. "Katara, what's going on? Why did you call like that?"

However, any further questions that Aang might have had were cut off when Katara released her grip on Anil.

Anil wobbled for a bit before he found his balance. He had all ready mastered standing upright on his own, but was yet to take his first real steps.

Aang watched, holding his breath, as Anil lifted his foot, and set it back down again. It wasn't quite a step.

After a few moments, he tried again. He lifted his foot and took a single step forward.

"His first step!" Aang gasped.

But Anil wasn't finished. He took a step forward with the other foot. His movements were slower and jerkier than a normal child to highlight his Airbending abilities. Moving through air was slightly harder for Anil than it was for other children.

The distance between Aang and Katara was only a few feet, and it took Anil a few minutes to cross the distance. But Aang eventually scooped up Anil into his arms, and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead.

"Your first steps!" Aang exclaimed, standing up with the squealing boy in his arms.

Katara stood up and embraced her husband, and gave him a kiss. Aang firmly returned her kiss. Once they separated, she pressed a kiss to her son's forehead.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other. "I can't believe it." Aang whispered. "He's growing up so fast!"

"I know." Katara agreed. "It seems like it was just yesterday that he was just a newborn."

Aang nodded. A year had gone by since Anil's birth, but it seemed like a blink of an eye. Katara took Anil from his arms and embraced her son. But he looked back at his father. "Dada." He called.

Aang moved closer to his wife and son and pulled them both into an embrace. Katara sighed and leaned into his chest. "I love you both." Aang whispered.

"We love you too." Katara replied

For a while, the young family simply held onto each other, bathed in love by each other's presence.

After several moments, the family pulled apart. Aang pressed another kiss to his son's hair and then he looked at his wife. "His first steps. I'd say that this calls for a celebration."

"Of course." Katara agreed. "What do you have in mind?"

"A day on the town." Aang said. "Sokka and Suki can watch Ammy for us. She's been in much better shape since she gained some weight."

Katara didn't respond to Aang's suggestion at first. Ammy was not her daughter, but the infant girl had dominated her life in recent months. Ammy wasn't her biological daughter, but she was like a daughter to her. She didn't feel comfortable leaving her sickly daughter in the care of someone else; even if that someone was her brother and sister-in-law. "Aang… I don't know…"

"Katara…" Aang whispered in her ear. "I just want to spend time with you… my family."

"Well… if you're sure…" Katara said. "I'll call Sokka."

Aang kissed her before she left to get her brother.

* * *

At the Fire Nation's prison for the criminally insane, Azula sat calmly in her cell.

She breathed calmly, focusing on a small blue flame in the palm of her hand.

There was a bit of commotion going on down the hallway, but Azula ignored it.

The door at the end of her hallway burst open suddenly with a blast of flames. The charred body of her guard fell through the doorway. The smell of burned flesh filled the room. A man stepped over the charred corpse and walked over to Azula's cell. He bowed deeply. "Princess Azula."

"What you did was foolish." Azula said softly. "This is the second most guarded criminal facility in the Fire Nation; and the only one where the prisoners are more dangerous than the guards."

"You are many things, Princess, but you are not insane." The man said.

"Why would you risk so much to break into my prison to speak to me?" Azula asked.

"Princess Azula, I represent a multi-national Anti-Avatar group." The fire in Azula's hand went out. "The details of the event that took place in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se the night you overthrew the Earth King were never released to the general public; but many of our members are former Dai Li, and they remember the events of that night well. You killed the Avatar."

Azula snorted. "I didn't do a good job of that, did I?"

"It was a freak event that allowed the Avatar to survive." The man said. "His Water Tribe…"

"Slut!" Azula spat.

"Slut," the man agreed. "His Water Tribe slut was able to heal him with some sort of super water." He leaned against the bars. "The Avatar no longer represents the interests of the people. The Avatar is supposed to be the protector of law and order. And yet he breaks ancient laws as he wills. He dethrones our leaders as he sees fit. And no one has the nerves to stand up to him. He has more political power than any mortal human should have."

"So, tell me, what do you want?" Azula asked.

"We'll get you out of this cell. In exchange, you will kill the Avatar." The man said.

"Killing the Avatar won't be easy." Azula said. "It will take years."

"Years? But you…"

"I was fortunate last time," Azula said. "The Avatar was young and foolish. He made a mistake and left himself open for far too long. You cannot simply kill the Avatar. If you kill him at the wrong time, he'll just be reborn. You have to wait until the right moment."

"When is the right moment, Princess Azula?"

"The Avatar State is the key." Azula said. "When he enters the Avatar State, his spirit becomes so closely intertwined with the Avatar Spirit that you cannot tell one from the other. That is when he is at his most powerful… and his most vulnerable. If you kill the Avatar while he is in the Avatar State, the cycle will end for good."

"Our intelligence says that the Avatar only uses the Avatar State rarely. And even when he does enter it, he only glows for a split second. That's a very small window of opportunity."

"That's why I said it will take years." Azula said calmly. "Get me out of this cell and hide me, and I'll slay the Avatar for you. I've all ready got a plan in the works."

The man seemed shocked at first, but then he bowed. "I should have realized sooner that you'd all ready have a plan for vengeance." He pulled out a key that he must have taken from the dead guard before killing him, and unlocked Azula's cell.

The former Fire Nation Princess stepped out of her cell with regal grace. For the first time in six years, she walked free.

As she followed the man out of prison, Azula smirked to herself.

Everything was going according to her plan. Ever since Nera had mentioned to her a few weeks ago about the Anti-Avatar group, she had been expecting a visit from them. After all, it was well-known among the Avatar's enemies that she had once killed the Avatar herself.

She watched calmly as the man gave a quick signal and the rest of his group dragged in a young woman. She was a young woman who was unconscious, probably passed out from the pain due to a large burn that disfigured her face.

"And who is this?" Azula asked.

"This is you, Princess." The man said. "During the night, you had a fit of insanity, killed your guard, and burned your own face. She looks a lot like you, and no one will be able to tell the difference. No one will know that you escaped."

Azula nodded, only moderately impressed.

She knew then that this group would serve her well. She had spent months planning and plotting this move.

Oh yes, the Waterbending slut would soon wish that she had never been born; and the Avatar would soon regret the compassion he showed when he cured the disease in her mind!

In fact… they would _all_ pay!

_This fool of a man has no idea of the rat-viper he had just unleashed within the group._ She thought. Azula cared nothing for them or their vendetta against the Avatar or their political agenda. Once they served their purpose and she was the ruler of the known world, she would dispose of them too.


	27. The Avatar's Children

**LES: This is the first major time jump. This chapter takes place three years after the end of the last chapter. Aang is 23 years old, and the Gaang's ages go from there. Anil is a four-year old toddler and Ammy is three. Aang's other children are also three. Michiko is three as well. But, that is not all… someone else will soon join the rank of 'parent'. BTW, people still have no idea that Azula broke out of prison and is bidding her time. So, without further ado… on with the story!**

**Chapter XXVII: The Avatar's Children

* * *

**

It had been such a long time since the sounds of a child's laughter filled the hallways of the Earth King's Palace. The Guards almost didn't know what to make of it. Needless to say they were even more shocked when a small child ran down the hallway past them, propelled by a small gust of wind that increased his speed.

They were all familiar with the Avatar's oldest son, Anil. By the Earth King's orders, all the Avatar's children were treated like nobility in the Earth Kingdom. Anil was treated like a Prince everywhere he went, and the guards were well-used to the mischievous boy. What they _were not_ used to was the boy's antics enhanced by Airbending.

"Young lord!" They gasped in shock, moving to intercept the boy who had probably gotten away from his parents once again. But it was too late; Anil shot past them with a laugh and was gone.

But the boy didn't get far. He turned a corner and almost failed to stop in time before he ran into a pair of legs that was waiting for him there.

Anil froze and he raised his eyes slowly until he met the stern gaze of his father.

Avatar Aang stood in the center of the hallway, glaring sternly at his son with his arms folded across his chest.

"Uh oh." Anil said as he turned and tried to Air-Run down the other hallway away from his father.

But before the young and inexperienced Airbender could seize control of the air, Aang had mastered the air. With a sweeping movement, he created a gust of wind that lifted the surprised boy up and deposited him in his arms.

"No, Daddy!" Anil cried as he struggled to break from Aang's arms.

Aang suddenly grinned and tapped the boy on the nose. "Tag." He said simply.

"No, Daddy, you cheated!" Anil yelled.

"Cheat? Your Daddy never cheats." Aang said. "Your Daddy's just the best at games!"

"You cheated!" Anil repeated firmly. "I can't make wind like that!"

"But you will someday." Aang said, his face filled with pride. When he was an infant, the Gaang had predicted that Anil was an Airbending prodigy, and he was living up to that genius. He had taught himself some of the basics of beginning Airbending from watching his father. Once Aang found out, he began teaching him Airbending a full two years early.

Anil was still at the lowest form of Airbending, only able to use his powers to enhance his own movements.

The young boy yawned suddenly, which caught Aang's attention. He realized that it was almost time for Anil's nap. "Are you sleepy?"

Anil shook his head in denial, even as he yawned again. "Nuh-uh, Daddy. Not sleepy."

"Sure, you're not sleepy at all." Aang said disbelievingly as he pressed the tired boy to his shoulder.

"Daddy? How come I can never stay up like you and Mommy?" Anil asked.

"Mommy and Daddy take naps too, you know." Aang said, but he wasn't going to tell his four year old son that they didn't _sleep_ during those 'naps'. That was a conversation that Aang wanted to save until Anil was _much_ older… like in fifty years or so. "Come on. All this playing has worn you out."

"But I'm not…" Anil trailed off with another big yawn.

Aang smiled and carried Anil with him as he left the Palace grounds and began the slow walk through the upper ring back to his house. Many people greeted him warmly as he walked down the street, and he returned their greetings.

Anil fell asleep against his shoulder as he walked. Aang smiled and patted the boy's hair. The four years that he had his son in his life had been incredible. Ever since the moment of his birth, Anil had dominated the young Avatar's thoughts in a way that he thought no one except Katara was capable of. Anil and his family were, quite literally, his whole world.

And speaking of his family… Aang walked into the house and found his wife carrying three year old Ammy to bed.

Anil had taken his first steps just before his first birthday, but Ammy still wasn't able to move on her own. She was too weak. She also got sick much more often, and her illness were always more severe than when Anil got sick. But the girl was strong in her own way and pulled through every time.

She had recently been sick, but she was starting to recover.

Anil stirred when Aang carried him inside the house. "Mommy?" He called.

Katara finished putting Ammy down for her nap and walked over to her husband, giving him a brief kiss before she turned her attention to her son. "I'm here, Anil."

"Mommy? Is Ammy gonna be all right? I don't want my little sister to go away." Anil said.

Anil had been much too young to remember when Ammy joined the family, so he didn't know that Ammy was only his half-sister.

Katara took Anil into her arms and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "You are such a good big brother. Ammy's going to be fine. She's all ready getting better."

"Can she play with me soon?" Anil asked. "Daddy and I play all the time, but Ammy never does."

Aang and Katara glanced at each other, and then Katara answered. "Sweetie, Ammy can't play like you and Daddy can. She's not strong enough to rough-house with you and Daddy."

"I wouldn't hurt her, Mommy." Anil said.

"We know you wouldn't." Aang said. "But Ammy is too weak to even get out of bed. If you want to play with her, you have to play something that lets her stay in bed."

"I can do that." Anil said with a yawn.

Katara began to carry him to the room he shared with Ammy. "All right, big guy, it's time for your nap."

Aang followed Katara into the room as she lay the boy down on his bed, covering him up.

Anil yawned again, and grinned up at his parents. "I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy."

"We love you too." Katara said, leaning down and kissing his forehead.

After giving a departing kiss on Ammy's all ready sleeping form, Aang extinguished all the candles and lanterns at once with Firebending and followed his wife out of the room. Katara shut the door behind them.

Katara turned on Aang and gave him a deeply passionate kiss. When she pulled away she asked: "What took you so long to bring Anil back home? He almost missed his nap and we are running late for the meeting."

"I know. I'm sorry, Katara. We were playing tag and somehow ended up at the Earth King's palace."

Katara sighed. She should have known. Ever since Anil began learning the basics of Airbending, the whole City had become his playground. "I've called Sokka. He's coming to keep an eye on Anil and Ammy. I've also laid out your good robes. Go get changed, and we'll be on our way."

Aang would have had to be an idiot to miss that something was wrong with Katara. The flat tone of her voice said everything. "Katara, is something wrong?"

Katara sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. "Aang… today is the day that we'll find out if your other children have Airbending abilities and if they will come to live with us at the Southern Air Temple."

"I know." Aang said, noticing the distressed look on Katara's face. "What's bothering you, Katara?"

"I'm worried, Aang." Katara said. "What if only a few of the children have Airbending abilities and the Council decides you need to have more children? I was pregnant last time, and having to let you go was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't want to go through that situation again. I just can't."

"Katara…" Aang gasped in shock. "Why—why haven't you told me about this before?"

"Because… it was your duty to the world and I knew you were hurting as much as I was." Katara said. "But… isn't your duty over now?"

Aang mentally counted his children. Four born to Water Tribe mothers, including Anil and one set of twins, two to the Fire Nation, and one non-Bender from the Earth Kingdom. Best case scenario was six Airbenders. "It will be difficult to rebuild the Air Nomads with only six possible Airbenders, but it's not impossible." Aang glanced sadly at his wife and fell to his knees in front of her. "My love… my wife… forgive me."

Katara got on her knees with him, and fell into his embrace. "I wasn't angry with you, Aang. I was sad."

"It doesn't matter. You are my wife and I love you. If you want me to stop this plan, then I will. I swear on everything that makes me the Avatar that from this moment, you are the only one who shall know my touch as a husband." Aang said, kissing her.

Katara embraced him. "Thank you, Aang. I couldn't go through that again."

After a few moments, Aang realized that there was more strangeness in Katara's behavior. She kept referring to how she was pregnant when he spent those nights with the other women, and saying how she couldn't experience that again.

_It's almost like she's trying to tell me…_ Aang trailed off. He stiffened and pulled away from Katara, staring at her.

"Katara, you keep saying you can't experience me leaving you pregnant again." Aang said. "Are you pregnant?"

Katara didn't answer right away. "I… I wasn't sure at first, but I am now." Katara said, her eyes meeting his. "Aang, I'm pregnant."

"But… when?" Aang asked, shocked. "When Anil was conceived, I had a vision about it! I haven't had a vision of another child."

"You're visions have never been regular." Katara said. "I'm sure about this. We're going to have another baby."

"How long have you known?" Aang asked.

"A few days, but I'm probably at least one month pregnant by now." Katara said, her hands drifting down to her stomach. "Conceived in winter… this baby will also be an autumn baby."

"Another possible Airbender." Aang said, embracing Katara. "Oh, Katara, this is the best news I've had in a long time!"

The couple embraced for several more minutes, reveling in their joy before Sokka arrived and it was time to go to the important Spring Equinox meeting.

* * *

It was very hard for Aang to put aside his excitement for the meeting.

As it was, people were wondering why Aang had a huge silly grin on his face.

Zuko, however, was the first to approach Aang about his giddy expression. "What are you grinning about?" Zuko asked.

Aang made a motion for Zuko to follow him. Zuko followed Aang away from the rest of the delegates. When they were finally alone, Aang turned to face Zuko with that big grin on his face. "Can you keep something quiet for a few months?"

"Sure." Zuko said.

"Katara just told me this morning… we're going to have another baby!" Aang said, his grin getting wider.

Zuko didn't respond for several seconds, and then clapped Aang on the back. "Congratulations!" The Firelord said heartedly. "So, with the children you may be getting today, that will be about seven children, five of which aren't far past the terrible twos."

"Katara and I will be fine." Aang said. "Anil is a great son, and he's a great brother to Ammy."

"Even though they are only half-siblings?" Zuko asked.

"They don't know about that." Aang said. "It's easier this way."

"Of course." Zuko said. "So, I guess since you've told me one of your secrets, I'll tell you mine. Mai is also pregnant… nearly five months."

Aang's jaw dropped. "And you haven't told me? Why?"

"Hardly anyone knows." Zuko said. "There was trouble in the Fire Nation recently… a bunch of extremists loyal to my father… They wanted to force my hand into another war by kidnapping the children of high ranking officials and holding them hostage. Thankfully, the kidnapping attempts were adverted and all the children are safe. But I had to increase the security around all the children…" Zuko hesitated. "Including Sho…"

"Aang froze in shock. "My son?"

"His name was at the top of a short list." Zuko said. "Through Sho, they could have gained control over both me and you. Sho would have been a massive bargaining chip."

"My son… is he all right?" Aang asked desperately.

"Sho is fine. He is here." Zuko said. "That's why I've kept quiet about Mai's pregnancy. If the rebels knew that she was carrying my child, they would attempt to kidnap her too."

"I'd like to see someone try to kidnap Mai." Aang commented.

"I had to take away her weapons." Zuko said. "She's hormonal, and she's gotten a bit trigger-happy."

Aang nodded in understanding. But before they could continue their conversation, they were interrupted by one of the Earth Kingdom delegates. "Excuse me, Lord Avatar, but we cannot start without your presence."

"Oh, okay, I'll be right there." Aang said as he and Zuko followed the man into the Council chamber.

Aang took his place next to his wife and took her hand in his. She smiled at him briefly.

"We're glad you could join us for the meeting, Avatar Aang." The head Councilman said with a twinkle in his eyes. The entire Council was more than familiar with Aang and Katara's behavior and the fact that they still acted like newlyweds.

There was an incident last year in the Fire Nation the year before that was famous among the Council members. Aang and Katara had disappeared during the intermission of the meeting.

The Council had searched for them all over the Palace and eventually found them putting an unused closet to good use and in a compromising position.

When they had been caught making love, Aang just glared at his interrupter and calmly told him that he was almost done and he would be back at the meeting soon.

Within days, the event was pretty much legendary.

Aang simply smiled. "I'm glad to be here again."

The Head Councilman smiled in amusement. "On behalf of the Earth King and the provinces of the Earth Kingdom, I call this meeting of the Council of the Four Nations to order. As we all know, it has been four years since the decision was made to help the Air Nomads come back. And it has been three years since the women involved with this plan has given birth. As it was agreed upon, it is time for the mothers to report on their child's Bending abilities." He nodded to one of guards, and the women were escorted in. Two from the Fire Nation and two from the Water Tribe.

They carried the children in question. Aang recalled the names of each child.

The first woman was Nera, and she carried her son Sho. Sho had, perhaps, the least resemblance to Aang. He looked like he was completely Fire Nation.

The next woman was also Fire Nation. She also had a son that she had named Toshi. Toshi had Aang's skin and his hair color, but he had golden Fire Nation eyes.

The next woman was Water Tribe, the only woman to give Aang a set of twins. The boy was Sora and the girl was Hitomi. They both had strong Water Tribe features, except Hitomi had Aang's gray eyes, hence her name.

The final woman had also given Aang a daughter, a little female version of Aang named Megumi.

"Welcome. Are you prepared to give your reports?" The women nodded. "Lady Nera, what is the Bending status of your son, Sho?"

"My son has demonstrated all the signs of Airbending that Avatar Aang instructed us to look for. Sho is an Airbender."

There was applause upon the announcement. Now there was one Master Airbender and two young Airbenders to learn from him. And there were still more children to confirm.

Soon Toshi, Sora, and Megumi were all confirmed as Airbenders. The Council had groaned with disappointment when they learned that Sora's twin, Hitomi, was a Waterbender instead.

So the final count was seven children in all: five Airbenders, one Waterbender, and one non-Bender.

"As per our agreement: Sho, Toshi, Sora and Megumi will now live with their father at the Southern Air Temple with the understanding that the biological mother may visit at any time she desires. As for Hitomi, she may continue to live with her mother, or be given to her father by the mother's will."

The woman spoke firmly. "I could never allow Sora and Hitomi to be separated. They'll both go to Avatar Aang."

The Councilman nodded. "Seven children and five Airbenders was better numbers then we could have ever hoped for. And now that we know that it is dangerous to breed opposing elements together, we'll get much better results next time…"

"Councilor, I hate to interrupt…" Aang said, standing up. "But there will not be a 'next time'. Fire is an important number in the Air Nomad culture. I can rebuild my nation with these children."

"With all due respect, Avatar Aang…"

"My wife and I plan on having more children. But this should be enough." Aang said firmly.

"Very well." The Councilman said with a sigh. "As of right now, this plan is terminated."

Once the Councilman pronounced the re-population plan terminated, Katara leaned over and kissed her husband. "Thank you." She whispered against his lips.

"Anything for you."

* * *

**Name Meanings**

**Sora: Japanese name meaning "sky".**

**Hitomi: Japanese name meaning "pupil (of the eye)" Usually given to girls with especially beautiful eyes.**

**Megumi: Japanese name meaning "blessing".**

**Toshi: Japanese name for "alert, bright, intelligent".

* * *

**

**LES: This chapter is my special gift to my fans in honor of "The Last Airbender" which I'm going to see at the Midnight showing tomorrow night! I'm so excited! I knew that if I didn't get this done tonight, it definitely wouldn't get done tomorrow.**

"**The Last Airbender" FTW!**


	28. The Great Air Spirit

**LES: I've been sitting on the fate of the Sky Bison for a long time. It's about time I resolved that, don't you agree?**

**Chapter XXIIX: The Great Air Spirit**

On the way back to the Southern Air Temple, the newest additions to the Avatar's family cried almost non-stop. All the children were well aware that Aang was their father. They had been taught to address him as their father on his visits. They cried because they were being separated from their mothers. They had all developed the understandably powerful bonds with their mothers, and were devastated to have that taken away from them.

Naturally, they gravitated to the one parent they had left. During the day, Aang held the children to himself, telling them that everything would be all right.

During the night, Aang held Katara to himself and assured her that the children would be fine. "I was about their age when I was taken from my parents." Aang whispered to her as they soared through the clouds on Appa's back. "I was probably just as distressed as they are, and I turned out just fine."

"It's still hard to see them like this." Katara said. "Will they ever accept me as their mother?"

"Yes." Aang said, giving her a gentle kiss. "Just as I came to see Monk Gyatso as my father, they will eventually see you as their mother."

Katara hummed as she returned Aang's kiss. As they kissed, Katara felt his hand drift down to her lower abdomen. She smiled into his kiss, knowing that he was still enamored by the news that she was pregnant with their second child.

She pulled away from him briefly and met his eyes as her fingers met his. "I love you." Katara whispered, pulling him into another kiss.

"Katara…" Aang whispered breathlessly.

"So, my love, when should we tell the children about their new brother or sister?" Katara asked.

"As soon as we'll be okay with them asking where babies come from." Aang responded.

"Is that a vote for never?" Katara asked jokingly.

Aang laughed. "They'll have to be told sometime. Why can't we tell the watered down version first?"

"Is that how you learned?" Katara asked.

"The monks gave us a pretty little speech filled with flowery language, metaphors, and euphemisms." Aang said. "A lot of it didn't make any sense until our first time together."

"Hmm… It must be a cultural difference. In the Water Tribe, we are told quite frankly about se… 'It' well before we hit puberty. It's so that we are prepared for the changes that happen in our body."

Aang could see the merits of such an approach. He remembered that he had started puberty with no knowledge of it. He had been terrified that he had some sort of terrible disease and that he was dying. It wasn't until he ran to Gyatso in tears that the facts of life were explained to him.

"So, Aang, you were taken away from your parents when you were three years old?"

"Yes." Aang responded.

"Why? Were all the Air Nomad children taken away from their parents?" Katara asked.

"No. Only the Avatar is required to be given to the monks. It was to encourage our state of being unattached. I was taught to view everyone as an equal and to never give one life more importance than another. I guess you could consider it the ultimate equal treatment to value a stranger's life as much as you would value the lives of your family. We lost our relationship to our blood kin, but gained the entire world." Aang grinned at her. "I have broken this rule. The monks wouldn't have been pleased with me about falling in love. Gyatso probably would have understood… but the others…"

"What about the other boys at the Temple?" Katara asked. "Your friends. Why were they at the Temple and not with their parents?"

"Their parents gave them to the Temple voluntarily." Aang answered. "All Air Nomads could Bend, but not all were Masters. The best way to Master Airbending was to learn it from the monks. When they came of age, they could decide for themselves whether or not to join the Temple or rejoin their families to become a Nomad. Most stayed at the Temple." Aang stared down at their intertwined fingers. "I never told anyone, but Gyatso told me one thing about my parents." He paused, but Katara didn't pressure him to speak. "They _wanted_ to keep me." He said.

"Aang…"

"They begged the monks to let them raise me and teach me as much as they could about Airbending. Then they would be willing to turn me over to the monks to complete my education. The monks refused because my education required more than Airbending, and they took me away."

Katara embraced him, pleased that he had shared that with her. "We'll make your parents proud, Aang. We'll give them wonderful grandchildren… you've all ready given them a _wonderful_ daughter-in-law." She said playfully.

Aang playfully nudged her shoulder. "They would probably be upset that you're not a 'nice Air Nomad girl' and you're going to corrupt their son with your frank tribal ways." He said jokingly while Katara giggled. "Though, on the other hand, at least you're not a Big City Earth Kingdom ruffian. My parents probably would have put their foot down."

"But they would come to realize that their son is very much in love with this Water Tribe girl despite her frank tribal ways." Katara said playfully, kissing him.

"Yes, he is." Aang agreed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Aang." Katara replied.

* * *

They made it back to the Temple in due time. Even though there was room for each child to have their own room, Aang knew that it would be better for them to not be alone. The rooms that once belonged to the novices had two beds each. Since there was an uneven number of children, Anil got his own room on the merits of being the oldest. But that would probably only last until his brother or sister was born. Sho was put in with Ammy, Sora and Hitomi were kept together was per their mother's wishes, and Megumi and Toshi were in the same room.

By the time he got them settled, it was getting dark and they were tired.

"Daddy?" Megumi asked as Aang tucked her in.

"Yes, Megumi?" Aang asked, kneeling next to his daughter's bed.

"Am I gonna live here from now on?" She asked.

"Yes." Aang said, catching the anxiety in her voice. "But you don't have to be afraid. Daddy's here to protect you… Daddy's wife too. We won't let anything happen to you."

"I want my mommy." Megumi sniffled.

"Your mommy is very proud of you." Aang said. "Next time she sees you, she'll want you to show off all the Airbending skills I'll teach you."

"Really?"

"Yes." Aang promised. "Now sleep, my darling." He whispered, stroking her hair, and spoke a blessing that the monks used to say to him. "May the winds calm your mind and bring you sweet dreams." He kissed her forehead and stepped out into the hallway to rejoin his wife.

"You need to give one last blessing." Katara reminded him, smiling with a hint of lust in her eyes.

"Indeed." Aang said, playing along as he lifted her bridal style. "Although I believe you require a different sort of blessing. Perhaps it is a blessing of the flesh that you require?"

"What a virtuous monk you are, my husband." Katara whispered, kissing him.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25249342564 / dvl - chapter - 28 - lemon

* * *

They pulled away from each other slightly before kissing each other again.

"I love you." Katara whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"I love you too." Aang replied with just as much sincerity.

Just as they began to settle down in each other's arms to sleep, there was a small knock on the door. Suspecting that it was Anil wanting a late-night glass of water, Aang and Katara put on some clothing so that they were decent, and Aang opened the door.

However, it was not Anil. It was Megumi, looking frightened with her blanket clutched in her hands. "Megumi…" Aang whispered.

"Daddy, I'm scared." Megumi whispered. "Can I sleep in your bed?"

Aang glanced back at Katara. It wasn't like they hadn't gone through this stage with Anil. Just a few months ago, Anil had slept with his parents every night. "Yes. Of course you can, Megumi." Aang said, picking her up and walked over to the bed.

He settled down next to his wife with Megumi curled up to his chest. "Better?" Aang asked.

Megumi nodded. "Good night, Daddy." She whispered as she yawned.

"Good night, sweetheart." Aang said tiredly as he fell asleep, his daughter pressed to his front and his wife pressed into his back.

* * *

Sometime during the night, all five of Aang's newest children came to sleep with their father. By the time morning came around, their bed was overflowing with children.

Katara smiled at her husband over Sora's head, and he reached over to caress her check. "How did this happen?" She asked softly.

"Sorry." Aang said. "I guess our morning fun has to be canceled today."

"I suppose so." Katara agreed.

Their talking started to wake up the children; Megumi lifted her head tiredly from the pillow. "Daddy?"

"It's all right. Go back to sleep." Aang whispered, giving her forehead a kiss. "Sorry, but I have some work to take care of." He told Katara.

"It's all right." She said, leaning over Sora to kiss her husband. "Remember that you have to teach Anil this afternoon."

"Of course." Aang answered. He carefully extracted himself from the bed.

Aang pulled on his robs and walked over to the door, glancing back at his wife with a smile. She started to get up and get dressed herself. Her eyes met his and she smiled back.

Aang turned and walked out of the room, walking the familiar paths through the Temple until he made his way to the highest point in the Temple. Aang closed his eyes and took in the strange feeling that he had sensed all morning.

"Who is there?" Aang called.

All morning he'd had a feeling like he was standing on the edge of the Spirit World. The only time he had ever felt like that was in the North Pole's Spirit Oasis, in the presence of the Moon and Ocean Spirits.

He didn't know how, but he knew that there was a Spirit nearby… a very powerful Spirit.

The feeling got stronger, and a low roar filled the air, vibrating Aang's soul.

He spun around and gasped out loud. The largest Sky Bison that Aang had ever seen landed on the ground in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere. Aang's first thought was that he had no idea how such a large Sky Bison had remained hidden. His second thought was that this was no ordinary Sky Bison. The brown fur of its arrow patterned fur was filled with the images of creatures of the air, eternally flying across the Bison's fur.

Aang took a closer look at the Sky Bison, and he realized that this Bison was the source of the Spiritual energy he had been feeling all morning.

He met the Sky Bison's large, intelligent eyes. "Who are you?" He repeated.

The Sky Bison lowed and transformed, its massive body fading away, leaving the body of a woman. She stood taller than him, wearing a silver wind-blown dress. She had sky blue eyes. _No._ Aang realized, looking deeper into her eyes. _Her eyes __are_ _the sky._ Looking closer, he could see the glow of the dawn, the blue sky, and white clouds in her eyes.

She ignored Aang's question. "My brother, it is good to see you again."

"Brother?" Aang repeated, confused.

"Ah… forgive me. I've been in isolation so long that I've forgotten that Avatars don't have collective memories. I was unclear. I am in no way related to the physical body you possess now. We are related in Spirit."

"You are the Great Air Spirit."

She nodded. "Indeed. I am Meifeng." She said. Aang couldn't think of a better name for her. 'Beautiful wind' was a fitting name for her. "And you are the Spirit of the Planet. We are two of the Eight Great Spirits who were formed at the Beginning, with you being the oldest and greatest among us."

"Meifeng, how long have you been in isolation?" Aang asked.

"Nearly two hundred years." She answered.

"But we needed you!" Aang said. "For over a hundred years, Appa and I were the only Airbenders left! It's only been recently, when I got old enough to have children that the Air Nomads have started to come back."

"I'm sorry." Meifeng apologized. "A Spirit's life force is bound to their element. The destruction of my creatures left me dreadfully weakened and at the point of death for many years. I could not help… not until now. Big brother, we will bring back the Sky Bison now."

Aang stared in shock. "How?"

"The other Spirits have approved us to create life." The Air Spirit said happily. "Creating life takes a vast amount of power and was only supposed to be done once, during the creation of all things. But the other Spirits agree that the need is dire."

"Okay, so how do we create this life? It doesn't involve sex, does it?"

"Oh, no, no!" Meifeng said. "We'll join our powers, not our bodies. I don't have a physical body anyway. Remember a few years ago, when you merged with the Ocean Spirit at the North Pole?" Aang nodded. He remembered it as an out-of-body experience. "It will be like that. It takes two Spirits to create life. I hold the knowledge on how to create the Sky Bison, but do not have the power. You have the power to create life, but not the knowledge of how to use the power. I should also warn you… you'll be tired after this. Are you ready?" She held out her hands.

"Yes." Aang replied, taking her hands. Without prompting, he entered the Avatar State, and Meifeng's image faded as she melded her spirit with his, drawing on the bottomless depths of power that he had in his body.

Aang got a brief taste of her power. She didn't have the sheer amount of power that Aang had, but her control over the skies were absolute. Aang could feel the air currents over the Northern Air Temple just as easily as he could feel the air currents around the Southern Air Temple. He could sense the presence of every creature of air in the world, from the smallest birds, to Appa, to his children.

Suddenly, he felt such a vast drain of his power that he nearly passed out, but Meifeng gave him enough of her power to remain conscious. Aang had only experienced reaching his limit as himself, and had never before experienced that sort of drain in the Avatar State. Aang knew the limits of his own body, and it unnerved him to suddenly face the limit of the Avatar State.

Meifeng left his body, and Aang almost collapsed on the ground, but she caught him.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I know this was tiring. It was even tiring for you when you were a Spirit."

"How many…?" Aang began to ask.

"Take a look for yourself." Meifeng said, smiling.

Aang managed to look up and he smiled at the sight. Meifeng had created about a dozen Sky Bison, all of them the proper age to breed. Aang suddenly laughed. "You were right about how much energy it takes to create life. I don't think I've ever felt so drained, and that's saying something because I was in the Avatar State."

"This many Sky Bison will save the future of Airbending." She said. "Come; let's return you to your family."

The wind picked up and suddenly they were inside the Air Temple. Katara, shocked by their sudden appearance, dropped the plate she was washing. "Aang!" She paused, looking at the woman. "And… who is this?"

"Forgive me. I'm something like your spiritual sister-in-law." Meifeng said. "I am the Great Air Spirit."

Katara froze in shock and then bowed. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She gasped. After all, the only spirits she had ever seen were the Ocean Spirit, the Moon Spirit, and Hei Bei.

"There's no need for that." Meifeng assured Katara. "Your husband needs assistance. I fear that he has been very drained."

"What happened?" Katara asked as she moved over and wrapped Aang's arm around her shoulder to support him.

"We brought back the Sky Bison. There are over a dozen now." Aang said tiredly. "At last… Appa will have a mate." He slumped against her, completely exhausted.

"That's great." Katara whispered to him. "Thank you…" She turned to thank the Air Spirit properly, only to find that she was gone, only a smell of a summer breeze left in her wake. Katara shrugged it off and began to lead Aang to bed so that he could recover.

Outside she could hear the roars of greetings that Appa and the new Sky Bison were sending each other, and Katara smiled.

The Sky Bison were saved!


	29. Anil's Training

**LES: If you can't picture the drill that Anil will do, it is the same drill Aang was doing in "Nightmares and Daydreams" when he was circling the Koala-sheep. He was practicing Ba Gua footwork. This chapter is for PhorthyTwo. You know who you are. *wink***

**Chapter XXIX: Anil's Training**

* * *

Aang slept all morning to recover from the experience of creating life from nothing. Even when Katara reluctantly went to wake him for his training with Anil, he was still very tired.

"I'm so sorry, Aang." Katara said, helping her exhausted husband get dressed. "I would let you sleep, but you know how worried Anil gets when you miss a lesson."

"Yes." Aang agreed. The last time Aang had gotten sick, Anil had effectively freaked out. "Don't worry, Katara. We'll just do some drills today."

Katara smiled. "He's not going to appreciate that."

"That's why I'm the Master." Aang said, standing up fully. "Katara, you know how important drills are for mastering Bending." He held his hands up and moved his arms in a deliberate circle. Katara instantly picked up on the motion and mirrored his movements. "How many times did we do this Waterbending drill together?"

"Countless times." Katara answered.

Aang stopped his motions and took her hands in his. "Trust me to direct our son's training. I know what I'm doing. The last lesson Airbending novices learn before they get their tattoos is how to teach Airbending to others. I've always been the student… never the Sifu. Now it's my turn."

Katara sighed. "Okay, Aang. Still, Anil isn't going to like doing more drills."

"He'll thank me when he's older." Aang laughed.

Aang and Katara made their way down to the old training field where their son waited for them. When they got there, they saw Anil and several of Aang's other children staring at the herd of Sky Bison in amazement.

Anil was the first to stop his father. "Daddy! Daddy! Look! It's a whole bunch of Appas!"

Katara laughed and walked over to one of the new Sky Bison. She petted its nose and it sighed with contentment. "They are called Sky Bison, sweetheart, not Appa. Appa is the name of Daddy's Sky Bison."

"Oh." Anil said. "Daddy? Are we going to…?" The young boy trailed off when he saw his father standing purposefully near a solitary pole stuck in the ground. "Daddy!" Anil protested. "I don't wanna do those drill things again! I wanna learn how to make wind!"

"Anil, you have to learn your basics before you move on to more advanced forms of Airbending." Aang said. "What is the key to Airbending?"

"Footwork." Anil answered automatically.

"Correct." Aang said, performing a few Airbending movements while exaggerating his movements, making sure that Anil paid special attention to his feet. "An Airbender's power comes from creating circular motions with their body, gathering in the energy of the wind, and forcing it out." Aang said, sending out a blast of air.

Anil automatically copied Aang's movement, but he was unable to generate the same blast of air. Aang studied his movements critically. As he suspected, his son's footwork was just slightly off.

"Do some drills." Aang said, sitting down to supervise. "And remember to cross your feet so you don't trip."

Anil sighed in annoyance and began to circle the pole, his arms slightly extended in front of him and staying conscious of his feet so that he didn't trip.

While Aang watched Anil and his drills, Katara inspected the new Sky Bison.

She counted eleven new Sky Bison, five males and six females. With Appa, that was a dozen Sky Bison: six males and six females. Enough for each of the Bison to have a mate.

Katara noticed some definite pairing off among the Bison. Even Appa seemed to be particularly interested in one of the females.

Katara moved over towards Aang and sat down next to him. "Aang, look at that." Katara said, nodding in Appa's direction. "It seems that he's rather smitten with that female."

Aang watched Appa's advances on the female Bison, and he smiled. "Then the energy it took to create them was completely worth it."

"Just imagine… in a few months, we could have a new baby and baby Sky Bison." Katara said, smiled as Aang placed a loving hand on her lower abdomen. "What are baby Sky Bison like?"

"Very cute." Aang answered. "But then again, most animals are cute as babies. Sky Bison are usually born in a liter of about six or so. They are about the size of a small Polar-dog. The thing I remember most about Appa when he was young was how soft his fur was… like silk. If we get some liters of babies in the near future, they will probably be about the right again to Bond with the children."

They turned their attention back to their son. Anil was starting to mess up some, tripping up slightly. For a while, his half-siblings watched him before getting bored and running off to play with the Bison.

Even with Anil huffing in annoyance, Aang sighed with contentment. This was the way life was meant to be.

* * *

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Aang was suddenly awakened from his sleep by the stirrings of lust and arousal.

Aang sat up in bed, panting harshly and aroused to the point of pain. "Okay?" Aang gasped. He had never before gotten this aroused without reason. He remembered the dream he was having before he awoke, and there was nothing sexual about it.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25249753626 / dvl - chapter - 29 - lemon

* * *

They embraced each other and kissed. It seemed that Aang's sudden lust was satisfied for now.

"So, what was that about?" Katara asked now that the crisis was over.

"Honestly? I don't know." Aang said, leaning back and gasping for breath. "Thank you, Katara."

"I'm glad that I was able to help." Katara whispered, leaning closer to him. "But I do admit that I had an ulterior motive this time."

"Really? And what motive would that be?" Aang asked, smiling at her.

"It's the rare wife who doesn't like to have sex with her husband." Katara said with a kiss. "I'm not one of those women."

"I love you." Aang whispered, kissing her back.

Katara happily obliged for a few moments, but then pulled away swiftly. "Listen to that." She urged over Aang's disappointed groan.

He fell silent and listened. Aang heard a Sky Bison grunting. He knew from long experience that it was Appa. "That's just Appa. He's…" Aang trailed off when he realized exactly what was going on. The reason for his sudden arousal was remarkably clear.

It didn't make the situation any less embarrassing.

Aang smacked his forehead and fell back on the pillows. "Oh Spirits…"

"Wow. I didn't know a Bond worked like _that_!" Katara gasped.

"I didn't either." Aang said. "Though I suppose that it makes sense."

"Then do you think it works the other way around? Has Appa been suffering all these years with us having sex?"

"Either way, he's not suffering anymore." Aang said as the sounds continued outside.

* * *

(Undisclosed location in the Fire Nation)

Azula followed the leader of the anti-Avatar movement on his inspection of his Benders. There were Benders from each nation, except the Air Nomads.

_That is a problem, isn't it?_ Azula thought to herself.

"Of course, we appreciate every Bender that joins our cause, but sometimes… it is the non-Benders that are the real surprise."

"Really?" Azula asked in a bored voice. She was only really pretending to listen to him. In fact, if you asked her what his name was, she would have drawn a blank.

"Yes, indeed." The man, whose name was actually Akihiro, said. "Over here is our greatest secret… living proof that the Avatar is not all-powerful." Akihiro pointed to one of his fighters, an unassuming man with a bored expression on his face.

"And you say he can't Bend any of the elements?" Azula asked. "That sounds useless to me."

"You don't know what he can do yet. So, Azula, how many Benders do you want him to face in a fight?"

Azula glanced at him in surprise. "Three. One from each nation."

"That's all?" Akihiro asked, picking out three of his Benders and bringing all four of them to the arena. As they walked, Akihiro whispered into his secret weapon's ear. "You are going to see something that you've never seen before."

The three Benders surrounded the single man. Azula predicted a bloodbath.

The Firebender and the Earthbender attacked first, rushing at the lone super weapon. The man's expression did not even change.

Then he jumped into action, moving with unnatural swiftness towards the Earthbender. Azula recognized his speed for what it really was. He was no faster than the average warrior, but he did not hesitate or show fear, and that made all the difference.

He closed the distance between himself and the Earthbender before he could react. Then he did the one that that could have made Azula lose her mask of indifference, which it did.

The man reached out and pressed his hands on his opponent's forehead and heart. There was a flash of dim grey light, and he moved away from the Earthbender.

Without a word, the Earthbender brought his hands together and thrust them up; creating a spike of earth that impaled his chest, killing himself.

The man repeated these motions twice with the others: touching his opponent, a flash of grey light, and moving on. The Firebender spontaneously combusted until he was only ash and the Waterbender slit his throat with a tendril of water.

The weapon stopped, looking as bored as ever.

Akihiro smirked. "Now you see why I would trade a hundred Benders for one more like him? Can you believe that they did not allow him to join the Earth Kingdom army during the war because he was not an Earthbender? It's true that he cannot Bend a single element. But what he can Bend is so much more rare and dangerous. Souls."

"I see. So he took away their will to live and they committed suicide." Azula said.

"Correction… they were _more than happy_ to commit suicide. So, you are familiar with the art of Soulbending?"

"Yes." Azula said. "It took away my father's Bending abilities, and it's been used on me before. I'll admit that your warrior is impressive, but this won't work."

"How so?"

"The Avatar doesn't gain his abilities from the same place that normal Benders get it from. The Avatar's power comes directly from the Spirits, and no mortal could take away the Avatar's Bending, no matter how powerful the technique."

"It's true that he cannot take away the Avatar's Bending." Akihiro said. "But the Avatar's soul is mortal, and _that_ is the part of him that can be influenced."

"This is still the problem of the Avatar's power. These Benders were novices at soul-battles and that is why they succumbed so easily." Azula said. "The Avatar will fight back in such a battle, and he will likely win."

"It will not matter." Akihiro said. "I do not understand all of it, but apparently the stronger soul wins. Things like fear and doubt will weaken your soul. An accomplished Soulbender latches onto these weaknesses and Bends a person to their will. Ridding a person of fear and doubt makes their soul unbendable."

"So he used Soulbending on himself to rid his soul of fear and doubt?"

"Precisely. His soul is truly unbendable. Therefore, the Avatar's defeat will be inevitable." Akihiro said. "An unfortunate side effect is that he was completely lost his sense of self. I don't know his name. I doubt he even remembers his own name."

Azula bit her lip thoughtfully, new layers being added to her evolving plan.

"And how are you planning on using this Ace in the Hole?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Akihiro asked. "He can Bend the Avatar into following any order we want. How's this? 'You will enter the Avatar State and kill yourself'?"

Azula sighed and rolled her eyes. "You have absolutely _no_ imagination. Why would you kill the Avatar when you can destroy him? Now, listen closely, this is what you are going to do."

By the time Azula was finished outlining her plan, Akihiro felt a little sick.

* * *

**LES: Sorry for the long wait. I had lots of plot details to work out. I think this is the first time I've scrapped an idea for a story simply because my readers wouldn't approve. An idea delivered by angels… rejected.**


	30. Since We Last Met

**LES: I can't believe that I've fallen into my old bad habits. It's been so long since we've seen certain characters that I feel if I ignore it any longer, it won't just be wrong, it would be BADONG!**

**Muse: I don't know why people like you.**

**LES: Simple. My charming disposition, unquestionable beauty, and my epic brainchildren.**

**Muse: Sorry. Only one out of three.**

**LES: Beauty, then.**

**Muse: *Facepalm***

**LES: This chapter is dedicated to Spruce, the Captain of the ship The Doph, for being so patient.**

**Chapter XXX: Since We Last Met

* * *

**

**The Tale of Amaterasu**

It was a nice day, and little Ammy felt better than she had in weeks, but it didn't matter. No matter how wistfully she gazed out her window, she could not find the strength in her weak body to get herself out of bed.

She envied her brothers and sisters, who were currently playing outside… or so she thought.

It was very unusual for most of them to come keep her company. Most of her siblings thought she was weird. Some of them were down-right scared of her.

They feared her knowing, which was what the children called her strange ability because they neither knew the true name or the full extent of her ability. All they knew was that she knew things, things that she shouldn't know.

In fact, only Anil and Sho would…

Ammy stiffened as her lungs froze and she was pulled to the 'other place' where she saw things.

She was back in her own room, but the room was kind of blurry, like she was seeing it through a mist.

A teenage boy was in the room with her, but she did not recognize him. He was speaking to her and holding her hand.

"You are the only real friend I've ever had." He said. "Ammy, you _know_ that we are not truly appreciated here. Those of us with Airbending abilities are to become Air Nomad breeding machines. And you are perceived as a worthless cast-off who should have died in infancy. A wasted opportunity."

"I am aware…" Ammy heard herself saying with a strange voice. "That is what the world thinks… not our father."

The young boy's eyes narrowed. "Come with me, Ammy."

"You know she cannot." Another voice spoke.

Both looked around and Ammy saw a man in the doorway. He looked like her father, but obviously wasn't. He was too young and his skin too dark and he had messy black hair, but he wore robes like her father and had those arrow markings.

"Don't try to stop me." The younger boy said.

"Do you realize what you are doing? Father's all ready on the brink as it is. If he loses you…"

"Shut up!" The teenager yelled. "What would _you_, the _favorite_, know about _anything_?"

Ammy felt several strong emotions overwhelm her. Most of them she did not recognize. The one she did recognize… was fear. "Don't fight." She pleaded as the two boys dropped into threatening Martial Arts stances. "Stop it!" Ammy screamed.

Suddenly her blurry world when black and she heard someone calling her name over and over urgently.

"Ammy! Ammy! Ammy!"

Her vision cleared and she found herself looking into Sho's worried face.

"Don't fight." Ammy whispered breathlessly, leaning forward against her brother.

"Ammy, what happened? Was it your knowing-thing again?" Sho asked, holding her awkwardly. Ammy nodded wordlessly. "Ammy…"

"I'm scared. It shows me bad things." Ammy confessed. "Two people were going to fight. I don't know why, but I didn't want them to."

"Do you want me to get Daddy?" Sho asked. He and Anil asked the same question after every one of her knowings. She always refused. Predictably, she shook her head.

Left with no known way to comfort the girl, because as far as he was concerned, Daddy was the only means of comfort in the whole world, Sho held Ammy as she cried.

* * *

**The Tale of Toph and Sokka**

Perhaps it was strange, but Sokka ran around the Air Temple like a Roosterduck with his head cut off.

He had just returned from a family trip to visit his in-laws on Kyoshi Island, but had ended up rushing back to the Temple with all haste.

Now he ran through the Temple, anxious to find Toph on behalf of his daughter, Michiko.

The four year old had given Sokka one of the worst scares of his life while the family was on Kyoshi Island, and he knew that Toph was the best person to help him.

"Toph!" Sokka yelled, running quickly towards Toph's room. He could only hope that Toph was not on one of her frequent trips.

Like Sokka and his family, Toph was not tied down to the Air Temple. The Southern Air Temple impressed her far less than the others, so she spent a majority of her time traveling the Earth Kingdom as Aang's liaison. Everyone missed her, but they understood that she was not one to be held back by anything or anyone.

Sokka reached Toph's door and pushed it open without bothering to knock. His little 'experience' the night of his daughter's birth should have taught him to knock; but it had been many years since he accidentally walked in on his sister and brother-in-law having sex. It had been so long, he'd forgotten the lesson. A bit unfortunate, too.

"Toph! I need your h…" Sokka's plea for aid trailed off and died in his throat. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped; the perfect example of a 'shocked' expression.

For several seconds, he could barely comprehend what he had seen, even if it had stopped for the most part.

Toph was lying on her bed for some _man_! Sokka could not guess at this man's identity because he could not see his face, but he was definitely Earth Kingdom. They had been kissing quite passionately when Sokka burst in, but they quickly stopped. Still, they could not hide the other evidences of their passion. His arms were wrapped firmly around Toph's body and her legs were wrapped around his waist. Sokka barely had time to register the fact that she was wearing a modest dress before he realized that it had ridden all the way up to accommodate the young man between her legs. The only thing that kept Sokka from fainting on the spot was the knowledge that, at least, they were not having sex.

The man turned his gaze to Sokka. He had common Earth Kingdom features, and Sokka did not recognize him.

The Water Tribesman felt a surge of brotherly protectiveness turn his vision red. He could no longer protect Katara's virtue. (It was kind of hard to protect something that had been given away years ago.) But Toph was like a second, more awesome sister to him, and he could protect her virtue from dirty little scoundrels just looking for a good lay.

Toph, who could probably sense Sokka's anger even before him, quickly sat up and forced the young man to sit up as well. "Sokka…" She began.

"What in the name of the Spirits is going on here?" Sokka yelled, pointing accusingly at the young man. "Who are you?"

"You mean… you don't recognize me?" The young man asked, and was answered by Sokka's confused stare. "Well… I guess it _has_ been twelve years." He reached over towards Toph's nightstand and grabbed a metal thing… a helmet. He didn't have to put it on for Sokka to recognize him.

"Oh Spirits! Duke?" Sokka gasped, stunned.

The young man rolled his eyes. "How many times to I have to say it's '_The_ Duke'?"

"Oh, um… sorry." Sokka quickly apologized. "But, uh… what's going on here?"

"Gee, Sokka, you always claimed to be the smart one in the Gaang. You figure it out." Toph said.

"Well, _that_ answer is pretty obvious." Sokka said. "Sorry, I'm just having a little trouble accepting this. I never imagined that you would get a boyfriend or…"

"So what? You, Aang, Zuko, and Katara are allowed to fall in love and get married, but I'm not?" Toph demanded.

"No! That's not what I meant at all!" Sokka swiftly corrected himself. "I just meant that you are so independent… I never imagined you wanting or needing a man in your life."

Toph and The Duke glanced at each other, and Toph shrugged. "As Aang would say: Love comes to us when we least expect it, but it is our job to follow it when it does." Toph paused, thinking over her words. "Yeah, that sounds like something Aang would say."

The Duke scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Listen, Sokka, for what it's worth… I didn't mean for anyone to walk in on Toph and I…" He trailed off nervously. "I mean, Toph and I have been here for several days, and Aang… I mean… Avatar Aang and Lady Katara would not walk in on us like that."

"Exactly. What gives, Snoozles? I thought you learned your lesson about knocking when you walked in on Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen getting busy?" Toph asked.

The color drained from Sokka's face. "Oh Spirits! Bad memories!"

"So, what do you want? I'm not going to wait forever." Toph said.

"I need some of your Bending expertise." Sokka said.

"I'm busy." Toph said, grabbing the front of The Duke's shirt and forcefully hauling him closer to her. "Get Aang or Katara."

"But…"

"What about Aang and me?" A new voice asked at the door. Sokka instantly recognized his sister's voice and turned to greet her.

However, the words never got past his lips because his eyes locked onto her lower abdomen. She was round with child, at least several months pregnant!

Sokka's brain instantly overloaded and he fainted.

Toph laughed. "Now _that_ is some entertainment!" She was still laughing when she pulled The Duke into another kiss.

* * *

**The Tale of Zuko and Mai**

Prior to the birth of his son, the new Prince of the Fire Nation, Kazuki, Zuko was the one who had every confidence that he and Mai would be good parents. Mai was the one with all the misgivings up until the day she gave birth.

On that day, the dynamic with the two changed drastically. Mai became infinitely more confident in herself as a mother. She realized that her dislike of children stopped firmly at her son, and she warmed up to the idea of motherhood considerably.

Now Zuko was the one who was terrified of fatherhood. His first sight of Kazuki had not caused him to be overwhelmed with joy, but horror.

All at once, he had realized that he didn't exactly have the greatest role model when it came to fathers and became terrified of repeating his father's mistakes.

In his fear of repeating Ozai's mistakes, he actually began to commit them. He committed himself totally to his work as the Firelord to the point of neglecting his family in fear of damaging them.

Once again, Zuko's heart was in the right place, but doing the wrong things because of it.

In fact, the only 'member' of his family that he had any contact with was his dragon, Kin.

The golden dragon had grown by leaps and bounds. The dragon was big enough to ride on short trips around the Fire Nation, but not fully grown yet.

Aang had been right about the Bond all those years ago. The first few months, Zuko felt like he was being driven slowly insane by the constant contact. But now, his contact with Kin was as much a part of his mind as his own thoughts. Anything he didn't have that Bond, he missed it like one would miss a missing limb.

Zuko often likened the loss of his contact with Kin to the cutting off of his right hand. It was only a slight overstatement.

The Firelord was currently in the Palace Courtyard, overseeing Kin's feeding. The dragon could eat his weight in meat in a week, but Zuko didn't care.

He petted the golden dragon between his horns. "How did I ever think that I could do this?" Zuko asked both himself and the dragon. "Raising a baby is nothing like raising a dragon! It doesn't help that I have the worst father to model after in history. But, if I fail, my son suffers… What can I do?"

"Zuko?" Zuko froze and then spun around at the sound of his wife's voice. Mai stood at the edge of the courtyard, holding their son. "Zuko, do you really think that I don't know what you are doing?"

"Mai?"

She moved closer to him. "I know why you've suddenly pulled away from us. I know that you're worried about becoming a father like Ozai."

"That's not…"

"Zuko." Mai said, giving her husband a glare that quieted him. "You know that you've never been the best liar. You think I don't know what it's like to be worried about raising a child because I have disappointing role models? My parents wouldn't exactly win the 'Parents of the Year' award."

"Mai, there is a huge difference between your parents and my father. My father was evil." Zuko said.

"No, there is no difference." Mai said. "Both of our parents were disappointments. But the important thing is that we are aware of our parents' shortcomings. Because we know, we can make a choice. You can choose right now to be a part of your son's like as a positive influence, or you can repeat your father's mistakes in your efforts to avoid them." Mai smiled at him. "And you have something I don't: good parental role models."

"But… my father…"

"Your mother was a good woman, was she not?" Mai pointed out. "And hasn't General Iroh been a father to you in place of your own father?"

Zuko didn't respond as he remembered how he faced his father on the Day of Black Sun all those years ago. He had proudly proclaimed that Iroh was a real father to him. Ozai had scoffed and told Zuko he would learn the ways of tea and failure.

Zuko learned neither tea nor failure from his uncle. (Iroh often lamented Zuko's lack of understanding in the finer points of tea.) What he did learn from his was how to be a great person and a great leader.

He sighed and smiled at his wife. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm a woman." Mai said playfully, handing Zuko their tiny, newborn son. Zuko held his son for the first time.

"I promise." Zuko began. "I promise to do everything in my power to raise you like my uncle raised me… except maybe with less tea."

* * *

**LES: When I began writing this chapter, I swore that I wouldn't have Aang, Katara, or Anil in it. But I couldn't resist adding the Katara part in Toph and Sokka's Tale. Keep an eye out for the next chapter, which will probably be uploaded on my birthday! It will continue on the heels of Toph and Sokka's Tale!**


	31. Sokka Has A Heart Attack

**LES: Happy Birthday to me! It has been a tradition since I started writing fanfiction to celebrate my birthday by giving you guys a present. So here it is: the newest chapter of DvL! This chapter continues in the immediate aftermath of "The Tale of Toph and Sokka" from the last chapter. And, good news, Aang will be making a comeback! Woot! Don't worry if you are a fellow Aang fan. The last chapter was the "Zuko Alone" of the story… probably the only one where Aang won't appear.**

**Chapter XXXI: Sokka Has a Heart Attack

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**

In the immediate aftermath of Sokka's fainting spell, Katara had been forced to go get her husband in order to remove Sokka from Toph's room. Aang gave Toph and The Duke a quick and pleasant hello before he picked Sokka up and moved him to his own room, where both Katara and Suki fused over him, trying to wake him up.

"Come on, Sokka, wake up." Katara said, mopping his forehead with a damp cloth.

"So… I'm guessing he's like this because he saw you were pregnant?" Suki asked conversationally. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks." Katara smiled at her sister-in-law. "But it might not be just my pregnancy. He also walked in on Toph with her boyfriend."

"Toph has a boyfriend?" Suki began, shocked. "Wow. Of all the people I thought would never settle down…"

"That's what I said when I found out." Katara said. "But I've seen them together for a few weeks now, and I do have to say that Toph and The Duke really do have strong feelings for each other."

"They love each other." Aang interjected. "I knew as soon as I saw them."

"An Avatar thing?" Suki asked, still a little shocked that she could talk so easily with the Avatar himself! But, then again, he was her brother-in-law.

"Nope. Just a Man-In-Love thing." Aang said, sending his wife a small smirk.

"But isn't he a lot younger than her? I remember The Duke from the parties after the war ended. He was just a child…" Suki trailed off as she remembered who she was talking to.

Aang crossed his arms over his chest. "There's nothing wrong with falling in love with a younger man."

Katara rolled her eyes. "You're not that much younger than me, Aang. Two years. But, still… you're right. There is nothing wrong with falling in love with a younger man." She glanced at her husband, and she couldn't help it. She leaned into him and gave him a small kiss.

Sokka always had a sixth sense when they were showing affection towards each other, so they were not shocked when he suddenly began to wake up saying: "Get a room, you two."

"All ready happened, Sokka." Aang said with a laugh, pulling away.

Sokka's eyes once again locked on Katara's rounded stomach. "So it wasn't a dream? You're pregnant again? So soon?"

"It's been nearly five years since Anil was born." Katara said. "Compared to how long our parents waited between us, Aang and I have waited forever to have our second child."

Aang wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her stomach. "Not for lack of us _trying_."

"Ugh! Stop! Just stop!" Sokka growled. "Really? How many times do I have to tell you two that I don't want to hear about your sex-capades?"

"Sorry, Sokka." Katara said, elbowing her husband in the stomach to shut him up. "I thought you would be happy. You love Anil, don't you?"

"Of course I love Anil!" Sokka said defensively. "Katara, I _am_ happy for you! I'm sorry. It was just one shock too many recently."

"Toph and The Duke freaked you out that much?" Aang asked, finally getting serious.

Sokka shook his head. Suki sighed. "I think I know what's got him in a twist. We found out while we were at Kyoshi Island. Michiko is an Earthbender."

The silence that followed this pronouncement was absolute. "But… I thought you were a non-Bender…" Katara began.

"I'm not." Suki said. "But my grandfather was an Earthbender. I guess Bending can sometimes skip a few generations. I mean… look at you, Katara. There are no Waterbenders in your immediate family tree. But it doesn't matter how Michiko has her abilities… we just know that she has them. But neither Sokka nor I are able to teach her how to use her abilities. I'll bet anything that Sokka was going to Toph to ask her to teach her."

"That was the idea." Sokka said. Katara could tell that he was shaking. He was positively terrified at the thought of having to raise a Bender when he had almost no knowledge of the Bending arts himself.

Katara scooted closer to her brother. "Sokka, raising a Bender is no different than raising a non-Bender. They both require guidance and a parent's love. She'll have Benders in her family to relate to…"

"Like her aunt… the greatest Waterbender in the world." Aang interjected.

"And her uncle… the Avatar himself." Katara finished. "We'll help her, and you, Sokka. We'll get Toph to teach her, and under Toph, she'll become a great Warrior."

"I… guess so. Toph really did do wonders with Aang. He's an amazing Earthbender." Suki said. "So, Aang, just how is Toph as a teacher? She isn't too… tough, is she?"

Aang, for once in his life, did not want to answer truthfully. The pure truth was that Toph's training almost killed him and almost broke his bones on numerous occasions. Toph also did not like being told to take it easy on a student. She taught Earthbending her own way, whatever anyone else thought be damned. But there was reason behind the madness. Toph toughened Aang up. Neither Airbending nor Waterbending training had given Aang the opportunity to be injured (if he didn't count his tattooing ceremony.) Toph's training led to him being able to shrug off injuries that would have incapacitated him before. "She's a strict teacher." Aang decided on eventually. "But when she teaches, she does everything for a reason, and the student becomes stronger because of it. Michiko will become a great Earthbender under Toph."

That seemed to satisfy Suki, and Aang breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't have to resort to a lie.

"Thanks, guys." Sokka said gratefully, and then he turned his attention to his sister. "So… how far along are you? You must be at least five months if you are showing that much."

"Actually, I'm only at four and a half months." Katara said.

Aang shrugged. "It's probably nothing. You've been having more cravings this time around then when you were pregnant with Anil."

"I'm just really hungry all the time." Katara admitted. "I can't help it."

"I know how that feels." Suki said. "When I was pregnant with Michiko, I was eating constantly. Don't worry about the weight you are gaining. It's all for the health of your baby."

"I know." Katara said, rubbing her lower abdomen.

"So… you told the kids yet about their new brother or sister?" Sokka asked.

"Yes." Katara laughed. "That was painful. We told them the standard thing: that there was a baby growing in Mommy's tummy."

"But then they asked how the baby got in Mommy's tummy in the first place." Aang finished. "We had to distract them with several fruit pies in order to make them forget about the question."

"Well… I don't blame you." Sokka said. "I don't want to have to explain that to Michiko until she's about sixty."

"I feel the same way." Aang confessed.

Suki rolled her eyes. "Oh please, they are going to have to learn sometime. I mean, we all learned about sex by the time we were teenagers. If you don't tell them, they are going to find out for themselves."

"I'm not saying we _aren't_ going to tell them." Aang said hurriedly. "I'm just not looking forward to it."

"Just think… there will come a time when our children will grow up… get married… have their own children…" Katara said with wonder in her voice as she continued to rub her stomach.

"That time will come too quickly." Aang said with a nod. A brief silence passed between the friends as they considered the inevitability of their children growing up and leaving them, a painful thought. After several moments, Aang let out a sigh and stood up. "So, you want me to go get Toph for you?"

"Yes, please. Just remember to knock." Sokka reminded the Avatar.

"I always do." Aang said with a laugh as he walked away.

Aang walked back to Toph's room and knocked, stepping into it when Toph called that it was okay to come in. Aang stepped into the room and found both of them were off the bed. Toph was stepping out of the closet, dressed in her normal Bending clothes, and The Duke was lounging on a chair, waiting for her. "What's up, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked casually.

"I'm here to pass a message from Sokka." Aang said. "He wanted to tell you that his daughter has shown herself to be an Earthbender, and he wants you to train her."

Toph froze in the middle of the room. "You know… I haven't trained anyone since you. Not for want of people trying. During my travels around the Earth Kingdom, I must have hundreds of Earthbenders begging me to train them, desperate to say that they learned from the same teacher who taught the Avatar. I have refused every single one of them, because they were just interested in the fame and the possibility of being taught Metalbending. But… what are friends for? I'll train Michiko. Of course, she's too young to really start Earthbending training. But there are always basic forms and breathing exercises." Toph rolled her eyes.

Aang knew full well that Toph had been trained to Earthbend by the original Benders, the Badgermoles. But her human Earthbending instructor, at the request of her parents, had kept her at the basic level for years. So it came as no surprise that she really hated that Beginner's level. Indeed, Aang had only been kept at the Beginner's level for a few hours before she swiftly moved him up to the more advanced forms of Earthbending.

"Are you okay with that?" Aang asked.

Toph shrugged. "Sure. Whatever you felt, you were a natural Bender, so I was able to cheat a little with you. Not to mention you can pick up forms quickly and knew about proper breath control. I know that not everyone will be like you, Twinkletoes. If I have to take it slow through the Beginner's level, then that's what I'll do."

"Thank you, Toph. I'll tell Sokka." Aang began to walk out, and then stopped. "Oh, and… block the door with Earthbending next time. It will stop Sokka from barging in."

The Duke immediately went red, but Toph just laughed. "Thanks for the tip, Twinkletoes."

"Helping people: that's what I do." Aang said playfully.

On the way back to Sokka and Suki's room, Aang thought about the time when he, Katara, and Zuko talked about what would happen if Sokka's daughter turned out to be a Bender. The smart money had been on him having a heart attack, and it turns out that they were not that far off the mark.

* * *

**LES: I'm pretty sure that people are going to get upset when I say this, but we are drawing closer to the climax of the story. The time jump that will be happening next will probably be the most dramatic in the entire story… but there are really no other important events that will take place between now and the build up to the climax. The only thing that is left is the birth of Aang and Katara's new child, but I don't want to waste a whole chapter on another birth scene. After all, there's only so many ways that you can describe a birth. Rest assured, you will be all caught up at the beginning of the next chapter.**


	32. The Master

**LES: This marks the longest and last major time jump in the story. Anil is now sixteen years old, which means Aang is 35, which is still quite young in the Avatar world.**

**Chapter XIIL: The Master

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**

It was a rare day that it was quiet at the Southern Air Temple. This was not one of those days.

Almost every Airbender and a few of the non-Airbenders were gathered down at the Airball field with only a few of their number missing.

When Aang had first met his future wife and brother-in-law all those years ago, he had tried to show them what Airball was like. However, one Airbender playing against one non-bender did not do the game justice. It was only now that Aang's children were nearly grown that they saw the game as it was meant to be played.

Sokka would have never stood a chance against Aang. Airball was fast paced and mobile, and was just as much about the player's ability to control the air on the field as it was about passing the ball between team-mates. The larger the Bender's sphere of influence, the more control they had over the ball's movement and the game.

Their father could easily override all his children's control over the whole field and almost always win. Only Anil, his eldest, stood a chance against the Avatar, having beaten him at Airball once, a feat that made him greatly admired among his siblings.

Neither Avatar Aang nor Anil was present. Aang was giving Anil private lessons, which no one understood since he had mastered Airbending several years ago.

Anil was now sixteen years old and considered an adult, though he stayed close to his parents out of love. The first of the new generation of Airbenders had proven himself a true prodigy by mastering Airbending at age twelve. So he hadn't quite matched his father's record of mastering Airbending at ten, but it was still a highly impressive feat when most did not master Airbending until they were sixteen.

Now most of Anil's time was occupied between secret training with his father and training his siblings and half-siblings.

But there was no sibling-training to attend too. Once the young Air Nomads got into an Airball game, there was no stopping them. Those who were not Airbenders could only sit on the side lines and watch the action.

A vast majority of the players were fifteen years old, with a few younger ones thrown in, but it was clear the younger ones were having a hard time keeping up with the skill of their older siblings, who were nearly masters.

One of the younger boys managed to take possession of the ball, but promptly lost it when one of his older siblings sent a blast of air at him, taking command of the ball, knocking the boy off his perch, and sending the ball through the scoring hoop.

The young boy hit the dirt rather harder than the average Airbender because he hadn't been quick enough to cushion his landing. The boy frowned as the one who knocked him down appeared above him, grinning down at him. "You know, Tenzin, in a real Airball game, you would have been disqualified for falling off the posts."

Tenzin frowned and he pushed himself up off the ground. "Maybe I wouldn't have fallen if _someone_ hadn't over done it on their Air Blast!"

A teenage Sho, with his strong Fire Nation features and undeniably handsome, laughed and reached down to the younger boy, grasping his hand and pulling him back up onto the posts. "Come on, little brother. I just got a little too excited. You know how I am at Airball."

"Yeah, we all know." A younger girl named Kya said as she rolled her eyes. She and Tenzin were the second and third children born to Avatar Aang and Katara… as twins, which came as a shock to the parents who thought that Katara's larger stomach was just due to it being her second pregnancy and having more cravings.

Kya, being their first daughter, was named by Katara, who gave the young girl her mother's name. Tenzin was named by Aang after one of the most famous Air Nomad Avatars who ever lived, several dozen lifetimes ago. The strong name did not appear to be helping his Airbending training. He was not a prodigy like his older brother, and had to struggle to attain the level he was at now, many levels below his older siblings, and even a few below Kya.

Kya glanced sadly at her twin. "Ten, are you all right? You fell so hard that even I felt it."

"Tenzin!"

Tenzin groaned and turned around to face the caller, who was his mother. "I'm fine, Mom! I just fell!"

In Katara's defense, she loved all their children and just wanted what was best for them. Sometimes, however, that translated into over-protectiveness. "Are you sure that you don't want to come sit with Ammy, Hitomi, or myself?"

Tenzin just barely managed to hide his shutter at the thought of sitting with Ammy. Tenzin was the self-proclaimed fearless one, but there was one thing he feared: his older sister Ammy. The way that she continually glowed like the full moon or the way that she knew things that she shouldn't… and especially the way that she seemed to read his mind even before he could form the thought himself. She was confined to her room most days, being weak and unable to walk for distances, but she still scared the living daylights out of the young Airbender.

"No, Mom, I'm fine." Tenzin said, blushing and turning his attention back on the game, determined to do better.

* * *

No one was more surprised than Anil when he became a Master Airbender and his education continued. He knew as much as his father about Air Nomad culture and Airbending, even the highly dangerous final level of Airbending, but his father continued his strict study habits. Now Anil was learning politics, diplomacy, law, and economy. Anil did not know why he was being forced to study these things. They were not subjects that most Air Nomad monks studied. In fact, it was only the Avatar who got taught these subjects in Air Nomad society.

Anil sighed and rubbed his eyes to refocus on the highly dull philosophical text he was reading about the complicated relationships between the ruling class and the governed. He could hear his younger brothers and sisters out in the courtyard playing an energetic game of Airball, and that was making it difficult to concentrate on the words written by an ancient Avatar.

His father sat on the other side of the room, meditating in the Spirit World, his eyes closed and tattoos glowing brightly. He had been that way all morning without moving a single muscle. His father's focus amazed the young Master continuously. Of course, Anil had to learn how to meditate for hours on end in order to earn his tattoos, but he had always found it difficult to stay still for that long. But perhaps having your soul removed from your body made it easier to sit still for hours.

Anil began to focus on the paper again but only managed to read a few more words before the ambient glow of the room faded and his father returned from the Spirit World.

Avatar Aang stood up without betraying a hint of soreness. "How was your trip, father?" Anil asked, pleased for the distraction from the dull text.

"Pleasant." Aang answered. "Of course, it's been many years since we've had a real crisis."

"I don't know, Dad." Anil commented. "I hear that the anti-Bending revolt is picking up steam."

"The anti-Bending revolt is still nothing more than a small movement at this point." Aang said. "They are not violent. They only fear that Benders, especially myself, have far too much power over the fate of the world. After all, the Hundred Year War was really a war against the Avatar and the Spirits I represent." Aang smiled at his son. "But I can sense you stalling, Anil. Have you finished reading?"

"Um… basically." Anil said.

"Then what was Avatar Yang Chen trying to say?"

Anil sighed, trying to organize his thoughts when his brain felt like a wrung sponge. "She says that the world of government is organized in a circle. The governed give their approval to a leader, thus granting him or her the power to rule over them. It is, therefore, that leader's responsibility to use that power in the best interest of the People they govern. If the leader does his job well, the people grant him even more approval and power and thus do both grow in strength. However a leader who abuses his power will stir up the anger of those he or she governs and face being overthrown in a revolt. And thus do both grow weak. The governor and the governed rise and fall together."

"Very good." Aang said, sounding pleased. "And how does this system differ for the Avatar?"

Anil sighed. "She said that, unlike others in positions of power, the Avatar does not receive his power from the governed, but from the Spirits. The position of the Avatar is ordained by the Spirits and the chosen one will retain the position for their entire life, be they good or evil. It is therefore doubly important for the Avatar to seek the approval of the governed."

"Why?" His father asked. "If the Avatar is only accountable to the Spirits residing in the Spirit World, why should I care if the people approve of me or not?"

Anil swallowed a hard lump in his throat. "Because… because if the people hate the Avatar enough, they will murder him or her to quicken the arrival of the next Avatar. Several Avatars, drunk on their own power, have turned into evil tyrants and were all brought low by those they oppressed."

"Because the Avatar is not a God." Aang recited from memory. "The Avatar does not see all or know all. The Avatar is susceptible to making mistakes just like the rest of mankind, and those mistakes led to the downfalls of the Black Avatars."

Anil set down the parchment. "Dad, I don't like reading about this stuff."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because I love you." Anil said, standing up and facing his father. He was just as Anil remembered him for most of his life. Bald head tattooed with the same blue arrow that topped Anil's head, except Anil had allowed his hair to grow out over the tattoo. Bright grey eyes that seemed to reflect all the wisdom of his father's thousand lives. Bright orange, yellow, and red robes layered over his body in the fashion of an Air Nomad monk, albeit with much better material. "Dad, do you know how it torments me? The thought that one mad person who disagrees with you could sneak in here and snuff out your life? You said it yourself. The Avatar does not see all or know all. You have the scar on your back to prove it. What if someone takes your back again?"

Aang sighed. "I cannot promise that I will allow no one to take my back, Anil, you know that. Nor can I promise that I won't die. Death is as much a part of life as birth is, and it is something that everyone faces in the end. The Avatar is no exception to that. But I can promise that I'll be around as long as possible and I will not leave the world unprepared for my death."

"You mean leaving behind a Master Airbender to continue the tradition?" Anil asked. "Well… you've got one. Does that mean you're ready to die?"

"Of course not." Aang said. "Anil… have you not wondered why I make you study these things? Diplomacy? Economy? Law?"

"Well… of course I wondered." Anil said. "They are not subjects that the average monk learned. Only the Avatar learned these things, and I am not the Avatar."

"No." Aang said. "It was not just the Avatar who learned these subjects. Anil… the average monk did not learn these things… but the extraordinary monks did: those monks who were destined for greatness. I will not relinquish the position of the Avatar until I die, but there is another position that I fill that must be filled by another as soon as possible. That is what you are studying for."

Aang fell silent, allowing his son to work out the special position for himself. Anil stared down thoughtfully at the parchment for a while, and then he glanced up at his father in shock. "The Head Monk of the Air Nomads?"

Aang smiled and nodded. "The Avatar was never meant to also occupy the ruling seat of a single nation. Both jobs are too demanding for a single person to fulfill. It's the sole reason that I've got premature wrinkles."

"Mom still thinks you are handsome." Anil said playfully, but also grinning at the news his father told him.

"My Avatar duties have taken a back seat while I worked on training you and your siblings. The world understood this and allowed me to work with you. But you are a Master now, and are fully capable of taking over their training yourself. Soon, you will have the knowledge you need to become the leader of the new Air Nomad nation. I was planning on making the official announcement when you turned eighteen, but it's about time you knew the method behind my madness."

"I never thought you mad, father." Anil said, standing up and embracing his father joyfully. "Thank you, I don't know what to say."

"Promise me that you'll take care of your brothers and sisters if ever there is a time that I'm gone." Aang said. "Promise that you will pass on knowledge of the Avatar and insure that the Avatar system continues the way it always has. Promise that you will make all your decisions with wisdom and love."

"I… I promise, father." Anil said, returning his son's embrace. To say that he was energized by the news that his father was hand-training him to become the new leader of the Air Nomads was a vast understatement. He pulled out of his father's embrace and picked up the next scroll. "What are we studying next? Economy? Law?"

Aang smiled and took the scroll out of Anil's hands, and set it down on the table. "I believe that you've earned a break. What do you say that we head down and show your siblings how two Master Airbenders play Airball?"

"Only if you promise to not use the Avatar State." Anil said. "You always do that."

Aang laughed. "Okay. I promise." Though little did Anil know that his father didn't need the Avatar State to defeat him in Airball, which is precisely what happened.

* * *

Katara sighed tiredly as she made her way back to her room. There were days when she felt like she was once again in charge of organizing the Gaang on one of their frequent trips in the past. There were, of course, her children with Aang: four of them. Anil was the eldest, and then Kya and Tenzin, and finally Neela, the youngest. While the three eldest seemed to take after their father in terms of their physical appearance, Neela seemed to have the most Water Tribe in her. She, alone, out of the children had inherited Katara's blue eyes, which was the inspiration behind her name. Neela was five years old and just beginning her Airbending training. And then there were the children that her husband had fathered with others: Sho, Ammy, Sora, Hitomi, Megumi, and Toshi. Ten children in all, and seven of them were teenagers. It made for a hectic life.

But as she walked into her room, Katara was reminded once again why she choose this life.

Her love of children played a part, of course, but she really did it for her husband and for his smile. He was laying on their bed, waiting for her, and she smiled at him before joining him on the soft mattress.

The hard life that he led as the Avatar had caused him to age a little faster than he normally would. In fact, most could never guess that he was younger than his wife. The difference was pronounced by the fact that Katara seemed to be aging very gracefully.

But Katara did not care about the laugh lines that appeared on her husband's face. She loved him unabashedly, and the lines only made him appear wise. _Key word: 'appear'_.

Katara crawled along the surface of the mattress until she reached her husband, gripped onto the fabric of his tunic, and pulled it open to reveal his chest. Though his face was getting lined, his body remained as fine as ever. The vigorous martial arts had kept Aang's body in its prime. Katara gasped as she ran her hands firmly along his chest and leaned into his body to kiss him.

Aang wrapped his arms around her body and returned her kiss. His hand drifted from her lower back and under the hem of her shirt, caressing the skin of her back.

"How was your day?" Katara asked softly against his lips.

"It went very well." Aang said, kissing her repeatedly. "I told Anil today."

"Told him what?"

"About how he's going to be the new leader of the Air Nomad nation when he turns eighteen."

"How did he take it?"

"He's excited." A few more exchanged kisses. "We've raised him well, and he'll be ready for the responsibilities."

Katara sighed in happiness as Aang's lips moved down to her throat and began to nip and suck at the sensitive skin there.

"Katara?" Aang breathed softly against her skin.

"What?"

"I want another baby."

"It has been a while." Katara commented, and then she froze. She sat up swiftly and Aang sat up with her. "But… Aang… its spring."

"So?"

Katara gasped. "If we conceive a baby now, that child will be born in winter. Our plan to only have children in the fall has result in every single one of them being an Airbender. But winter is the season of the Waterbender."

"We have four Airbending children." Aang said, kissing her. "But those children are not wholly Air Nomad. You are Water Tribe, and I think it's about time that we honored your heritage by having a Waterbending child."

Katara let out a happy sob, and embraced her husband. "I love you. Oh Spirits, Aang, I love you! Yes, let's have another baby." She hastily pulled off her shirt and exposed her breasts. Aang embraced her tightly and they kissed passionately.

* * *

**LES: I should have been clearer. This chapter was not going to be the climax. I said that this would be the beginning of the climax. Of the different parts of plot, we are entering the part called 'Rising Action' which will end with the climax, followed by the Falling Action and Resolution.**


	33. Ammy's Secret

**Chapter XIIIL: Ammy's Secret

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**

It was a very late afternoon when the Avatar's family arrived on Kyoshi Island where they would be having a reunion with all their old friends, many of them that they hadn't seen in years.

It had been many years, but the residents of Kyoshi Island never quite knew what to make of the dozens of young Sky Bison descending from the sky. They were all familiar with Appa, of course, but seeing one gigantic flying Bison was nothing like seeing dozens.

Kya, Tenzin, and Neela rode with their parents on Appa's back, but the other children had been bound to the second generation for some time, and each of Aang's other children rode on their own Bison. The only exception was Ammy, who rode with Sho, who offered her his blanket to keep warm.

"Are you sure you're warm enough?" Sho asked with concern.

Ammy laughed softly. "You don't have to worry so much. It's not like I'm the one being exerted."

"You're right… you're right… I'm sorry." Sho said, his gaze dropping.

"Don't be sorry." Ammy said. "I know you only are this protective because you care about me… more than any of our siblings."

Sho did not reply.

On Appa's back, Aang and Katara's youngest was getting impatient. "Daddy!" She called from her mother's lap to where her father sat steering Appa. "Are we there yet?"

Before Aang could respond to his daughter's question, Tenzin snorted. "We haven't landed yet, have we?"

"Ten!" Katara scolded, sighing heavily. Tenzin was their second son, but completely different from Anil. Anil had inherited his father's laid-back personality, but Tenzin seemed to have his mother's bull-headed, stubborn personality. Tenzin was their stereotypical difficult teenager. It was enough to drive his parents mad sometimes.

"Tenzin, be nice to your sister." Aang scolded from the front, and then turned to smile at his daughter. "We're almost there now."

"Will Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki be there?" Neela asked, looking up at her mother.

"Yes, they will." Katara answered. "Aunt Toph, Uncle Zuko, Aunt Mai, Michiko, and Kazuki will be there too."

"Yay!" Neela said, clapping her hands happily.

"Wait…" The family glanced around and saw another Sky Bison moving closer to them, steering the Bison was Aang's oldest son: Anil. "Did you say that Michiko will be there?"

"She will." Katara said, giving her eldest son quite a glare. "You WILL behave yourself this time, won't you?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Anil protested sharply. The last time he and Michiko got together was for her fifteenth birthday, which was when she became the legal age to drink in the Earth Kingdom. She demanded that, for his present, Anil take her out drinking, which he did to his deepest regret.

He learned that night that he could not hold his liquor. The whole drunken episode ended with Anil very nearly getting married. He had drunkenly proposed to some random girl, who was only too delighted to accept the Avatar's son's proposal. Thankfully, the Earth Kingdom required the consent of the parents to legalize a marriage, and Aang was able to put his foot down and drag his drunken son away. Michiko had spent the whole time laughing at him, not doing a thing to help him, and just preferring to sit back and watch the show.

The event became the thing of palace gossip for months.

"I remember that." Tenzin piped up. "That was probably the first time I ever saw Dad really mad at you. He forced you to clean up after the Bison for a month."

Anil blushed, his mind traveling back to that horrible punishment. All and all, he preferred the hangover that he had the next day.

"Ah. Good news." Aang said, grinning. "Kyoshi Island is just up ahead!" Kya instantly crawled up to the front of the saddle behind her father, gazing at the island that was still some distance away.

"That was the birthplace of Avatar Kyoshi, right?" Kya asked.

"Yes, it was." Aang said. "She also lived most of her life here. Some of her descendants still live here."

"You mean there are more people who are related to Avatars?" Kya asked.

"Of course." Aang said. "In fact, if you go back far enough in anyone's family tree, they will probably be related to an Avatar in some way. Uncle Zuko's great-grandfather was an Avatar, you know."

Within minutes, the group of Sky Bison landed on the outskirts of Kyoshi Village. Back when they traveled with just Appa, Aang had always landed in the town square, but there was simply not enough room for half-a-dozen Bison to land there.

As soon as Aang jumped down from Appa's head, a large boulder suddenly flew at him with the intent of striking him. Without hesitation, Aang thrust out his fists and crushed the boulder to dust with a single, powerful blow. Aang let the dust drop to the ground and he brushed off his hands. "Hello to you too, Toph."

"Just keeping you on your toes, Twinkletoes." Toph laughed as she walked up to the family, with her husband walking just behind her.

"Aunt Toph! Uncle Duke!" Neela said happily. The Duke rolled his eyes. He had given up the hope a long time ago that Aang's younger offspring would ever call him "The Duke".

As Aang and The Duke greeted each other, Michiko followed close behind, choosing to greet her cousin Anil first. "Hey there, Lover Boy!" She laughed happily.

"Don't call me that." Anil said half-heartedly.

"What's it to you, Lover Boy? You left that poor girl quite broken hearted, you know."

"I didn't even know her name!" Anil protested.

While Michiko gave Anil a friendly punch of the shoulder, which she had learned from her Earthbending teacher, Toph; Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Mai, and Kazuki came walking up the lane towards the group, waving happily.

Sho picked up Ammy in his arms and gently Airbended themselves down to the ground. When he set her down, Ammy kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"No problem." Sho said hastily.

Ammy began to walk forward to greet Toph and The Duke when a suddenly feeling of light-headedness swept over her. She stumbled slightly, her hand resting on her temple.

Toph noticed Ammy's stumble. "Ammy, are you all right?" She asked, and the group turned their attention to the young girl, while Aang rushed to her side.

"I don't…" Ammy trailed off, and suddenly swooned.

"Ammy!" Aang, Sho, and Anil all rushed forward to catch her, but Aang was the closest and caught her first. However, the second that Aang touched her, he also swooned.

"Don't touch them!" Katara screamed, but it was too late. Sho had caught Ammy and Anil caught his father. However, neither of them seemed to be effected by whatever was affecting their sibling and father.

"What's going on?" Toph asked with concern.

"They're…" Katara trailed off, confused. But then the answer came to her when her husband's tattoos began to glow. "Aang's in the Spirit World!"

"Did Aang accidentally pull her into the Spirit World?" Sokka asked.

"Or… was it the other way around?" Katara wondered.

* * *

Aang was more than used to the feeling of being pulled into the Spirit World. The only difference was that there was rarely an instance when he was _pulled_ there. In fact, it had only happened twice in his life: when Hei Bai pulled him there on his first trip to the Spirit World, and when Avatar Roku had pulled him there to speak about Sozin's Comet. Every other time he had gone in his life had been of his own free will. This time was not of his free will.

When he reached the Spirit World, Aang was shocked to find that Ammy was there with him, looking in much better health than she did in the physical world.

Ammy seemed to be just as shocked at her father's appearance as he was by hers. "What are you doing here?" They both demanded each other at the same time.

Ammy immediately dropped her head. "What's going on here? You're not a vision."

"Of course I'm not." Aang said. "Ammy, what are you doing in the Spirit World?"

Ammy glanced around herself. "So this is the Spirit World?" She shrugged. "I've always been able to come here… ever since I was a little girl. Most of the time, I'm pulled here to have visions, but sometimes I just wander around. There are others here who protect me. This is a very unusual place. I don't ever feel sick when I come here."

"But… you _can't_ have been coming here for years!" Aang said. "Only the Avatar can travel back and forth without penalty. All others have to pay a toll before they are able to cross over." Aang now knew the heavy price at the Spirits demanded for ordinary mortals to cross over into their realm. General Iroh had finally revealed to Aang what he had lost in order to gain access to the Spirit World. Iroh had told him that the Spirits demanded his birthright, but Iroh was desperate for the chance to find his son and gave away his right to the Fire Nation throne without a thought. But Iroh had been unable to find his son, and his brother Ozai had taken over the Fire Nation in his absence.

Iroh had said that he regretted it, for he felt that he could have helped end the war if he had become the Firelord instead of his younger brother.

Aang could not understand how Ammy could make so many trips. Even a single trip had cost Iroh his birthright. If Ammy made as many trips as she had said, then she should have lost her life by now.

"On your trips here… have the Spirits ever asked for you to pay some sort of toll?"

Ammy shook her head. "Never."

Aang contemplated this for several moments before he realized what had happened. The Spirit Water. It seemed that Ammy's ability to glow was not the only side-effect that she had. Being the daughter of the Avatar and having Avatar-made Spirit Water used on her seemed to have given her the ability that was rarer and more precious than Airbending: she shared her father's ability to travel back and forth from the Spirit World without paying a toll.

"Ammy, what happens when you come here?"

"Most of the time, I have visions. The past, present… and maybe the future." Ammy admitted.

"And why haven't you told me about this before?"

"Because I was scared." Ammy said. "Some of my brothers and sisters know, and they are scared of me. Only Anil and Sho are friendly with me. If they knew what I had seen in their futures…" She looked up at her father. "Dad, I'm scared. Sometimes the visions show me terrible things. I can't help feeling every time I see these visions that something is going to tear our family apart. I just don't want them to come true, so I try to ignore them."

"Ammy, let me tell you a little secret about the future." Aang said. "Those scary things that you see happening in the future… they don't have to come true."

"They don't?"

"No. The future is not written in stone, and the greatest ability that humankind shares is the ability to influence their own destiny. Did you know that when I was twelve years old, I got my fortune told? Aunt Wu correctly predicted that I would be involved in a battle that would determine the fate of the entire world, but there was one part of her prediction that did not come true."

"What?"

"She predicted that there was no love in my future." Aang said. "But I was able to take charge of my own destiny and find love for myself, and now I have a loving wife and the best children I could ever ask for. It's okay to be nervous about the future, but don't let the fear overwhelm you. The only real way the future can hurt you is making you worry about it."

"So… nothing will happen between you and Mom?" Ammy asked.

"No." Aang said. "Katara and I love each other very much, and nothing will come between us. Now… let's get out of here before we both attract some unwanted attention." Aang offered her his hand. Ammy took it without complaint and he pulled them both out of the Spirit World.

* * *

When Aang awoke, he found himself in his room in his Kyoshi Island house, with Katara sitting on the bed next to him, watching him with concern.

"Welcome back." She said.

"Sorry for leaving." Aang said, sitting up. "It's been a long time since I took an unplanned trip to the Spirit World." He looked around. "Is Ammy all right?"

"She's fine." Katara said. "Anil and Sho are with her now. Aang… what happened?"

The Avatar sighed and quickly explained what he had discovered about Ammy's powers while in the Spirit World.

Katara stared at her husband in shock as he finished explaining his theory. "Is that even possible?" She asked, shocked.

"It's not supposed to be possible." Aang said. "But Spirit Water is unpredictable; you know that as much as any Waterbender."

"I know." Katara said. "But it's kind of unnerving to think that you were able to pass on a trait to your daughter that only the Avatar should be able to do. Do you think it's possible for other people to learn some of the traits that only the Avatar can learn?"

"You mean like being able to Bend more than one element?" Aang questioned. "No, it's impossible. That ability comes from being the reincarnation of the Planet's Spirit, and that is something that could never be passed on through the Avatar's offspring."

"She… she said that she could see the future as well." Katara said. "And she was worried about us? What did she say?"

"She didn't say what she saw." Aang replied. "But it was probably just a false vision. Nothing will ever be able to tear us apart. We love each other too much."

"Right." Katara agreed, kissing him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

* * *

**LES: Before the writing of this chapter, I took a brief writer's retreat, which was basically for the purpose of re-reading this entire story, writing down any plot point I wanted to include in the finale, and then writing an outline for the rest of this story. I believe that it was a massive success, and I believe I can now reveal some minor things (no spoilers, of course)**

**#1: The typed outline of the rest of this story is 10 pages long**

**#2: There will be 51 chapters in this story! (That's six more than my previous chapter record of 45!)**

**#3: I did unintentionally lie about a few things: the climax is still a ways off. This is because the amount of material that I had to cover seemed a lot less when it was just in my head, but as I started writing it down, I realized that the climax is still a ways off. Also, I promised that the last time jump would be the last. That was an unintentional lie as well.  
**


	34. The Unbendable Soul

**LES: Since I now have this entire story outlined, I expect that updates will happen a lot faster than normal. I suppose this is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, we will be taking a bullet train ride to the end of this story, which is still many chapters off… on the other hand… we are nearing the end of this story.**

**Chapter XIVL: The Unbendable Soul

* * *

**

Even though the Gaang had gathered on Kyoshi Island to have a party, due to Ammy's sudden fainting spell, the party was put off for a day while she recovered from her sudden trip to the Spirit World.

Thankfully, Ammy still had strength in her own way, and she recovered after a decent night's sleep, and thus the party was planned to begin full-swing that night.

The day was filled with the old friends greeting each other, catching up on news, and signs of affection between those who were related. It also included Michiko attempting to tempt Anil into drinking a bottle of Earth Kingdom wine with her, which he adamantly refused.

However, the real fun started that night. The local tavern had been rented for the night for their reunion. Liquor flowed freely among the adults, who all partook of the drink with the exception of Anil and Katara, which added to the boisterous atmosphere. Katara would have sampled the wine herself except for the fact that she knew that she and Aang were trying for another baby and also for the fact that Tenzin was attempting to sample the wine when no one was looking. The task of keeping her son away from the wine was all the reason that Katara felt she needed to be sober.

Some of the others were only moderate drinkers. Her husband only had one or two glasses, for he had never been one to over drink. Suki, Mai, Zuko, and The Duke were also ones who only drank enough to get a slight buzz. Most of their adult children also partook, but not excessively. There were those at the other end of the spectrum as well: Sokka and Toph drank until they were practically incoherent. After that, they provided the entertainment by leading everyone in a rousing Earth Kingdom drinking song with so many verses that it never seemed to end. However, after a while, their words began to slur together and each verse began to sound the same as the last one.

Aang laughed out loud when Sokka drunkenly jumped up on the bar, raised his arms to conduct the singers, and promptly fell over backwards; disappearing behind the bar. Soon, the entire bar was laughing uproariously when Sokka popped up from behind the bar with a drunken grin on his face like nothing had happened. Without missing a beat, he began to conduct the singers in their song.

Aang was so overcome with giggles that he was forced to sit down rather than face the embarrassment of toppling over without even having the excuse of being drunk. Thus he walked across the bar, still giggling, and joined some of his children sitting at a booth: Anil, Sho, Toshi, and Megumi.

"Having fun, Dad?" Anil asked playfully, content with the fact that he was not drunk and able to simply sit back and watch the show as it played out in front of him.

"Of course." Aang said. "If there is one thing I hope I am able to teach you, it is that family and friends are where true power is. All the power in the world couldn't make me happier than I am right now, surrounded by my loved ones."

"We know, Dad." Toshi said. "We're all happy here too."

"You could have fooled me." Megumi commented. "You've been quiet all evening, and you keep glancing at the time and door when you think no one is looking. Do you have somewhere else to be?"

"Me? What? No! Of course not!" Toshi said, waving his hands.

"Methinks he doth protest too much." Megumi said with a smile, causing the others to laugh while Toshi blushed.

"Ah, it's probably just a girl." Sho said. "You've got to admit the girls here are something to look at… easy on the eyes… willing to marry one of the Avatar's sons at the drop of a hat." He directed this last comment at Anil.

The eldest son groaned. "Will _no one_ ever let me live that down?"

Sho, Toshi, and Megumi glanced at each other, smiled, and proclaimed in a loud voice: "Never!"

Aang joined in with his children's laughter. But he was the only one who witnessed Toshi slip out of the booth while everyone else was distracted and mumble something about having to go.

Aang watched in confusion as Toshi dodged his way through the tavern and exited the building. _Maybe he really is leaving to meet a girl_. Aang thought to himself. So far, with the exception of Anil's almost-marriage, none of his children had any serious prospects in the romance department. Most of them had tried their hand at romance at one time or another, but it so far had resulted in no engagements or marriages.

As far as Aang knew, Toshi had never had a girlfriend, and he figured it was about time Toshi started looking into finding himself a companion.

Seeing as Aang was a father and naturally curious about his son's love life, he joined Toshi in slipping out of the bar, relatively unnoticed. Only Sokka noticed Aang leave, in an almost subconscious way.

It was dark outside, and most of the lights were extinguished inside the houses since most of the residences of Kyoshi Island had gone to sleep some time ago. Aang glanced around and barely caught sight of Toshi's robes disappearing around a corner as he hurried away from the tavern.

Aang followed after him, making sure that he was not spotted. However, after several minutes of moving in between the buildings and eventually finding himself on the edge of the forest, Aang had to admit to himself that he had lost Toshi's trail.

Aang shrugged in indifference. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about Katara giving him a lecture about staying out of his children's love lives, even though he caught her eavesdropping on every single conversation Tenzin and Kya started having with the opposite sex. But as he turned to go back to the others at the tavern, he stopped in his tracks.

Standing in his path back to the tavern was a single woman, hiding in the shadows. That, alone, put Aang's nerves on edge because this woman could be two things: in danger of falling victim to a rapist or a prostitute looking for an illicit hookup.

"You shouldn't be out alone tonight." Aang told her. "You would have been in trouble if I were a sexual predator."

"There is nothing in this world I fear: least of all, you." The woman said coldly.

"Fear me? Why should you fear me? I have no desire to hurt you."

"Really?" The woman asked, stepping out into the moonlight. Aang gasped as he recognized her. Sure, it had been many years since he had seen her, but it was the same woman who haunted his nightmares. "Do you still feel that way?"

"Azula!" Aang gasped, sinking slightly into a fighting stance. Even as he got ready for combat, he all ready did not like the looks of this. Even the thought of fighting Azula while sober terrified him; but the thought of fighting her while he was not thinking clearly froze his limbs with fear. Despite his almost crippling fear, Aang managed a weak grin. "I would ask how you managed to get out of your cage, but something tells me that you are not going to tell me."

"Oh, but I shall tell you." Azula said, smirking. "You see, there's a secret movement that began in the Fire Nation years ago with a singular purpose: to kill the Avatar. They heard about my feat in killing you, so they broke me out to act as their assassin."

"And the woman who has been in that cell for the last few years?"

"A fake." Azula said simply.

"Am I to assume that the reason you are telling me all these things is because you don't intend to let me walk away from here alive?"

"Ohhh! So close!" Azula said mockingly. "You see, Avatar, I have much bigger ambitions than your death. I admit: your death alone will not satisfy me. No, I will do something to you much worse than death; and only when you are left in a broken heap… I will gladly end your misery. The real reason I am telling you these things is because you will have no memory of encountering me this night."

Aang glared at Azula, waiting for her to make a move, but it was not forthcoming. However, Aang managed to catch a tiny movement of her eyes, as she glanced at something behind him. At first, he thought it was a trick and tried to ignore it, but then he felt something land on the ground behind him.

Spinning around quickly, Aang found himself face-to-face with a strange Earth Kingdom man. As soon as Aang turned around, the stranger lashed out with lightning speed, pressing his right hand to Aang's forehead and his left to Aang's chest.

In an instant, Aang recognized the stance and copied it before he was suddenly engulfed in a Soulbending battle against another Soulbender!

Aang forced himself to empty his mind of the shock of finding someone else that was able to Soulbend and filled his mind with his determination to live.

Strangely, Aang did not feel the other Soulbender try to force his will upon him. Instead, the strange man's soul sat in his body idly, taking neither offense nor defense in this battle.

He did not allow on himself to dwell on it, however, as he pressed his attack on the other Soulbender. For many minutes, he pressed against the other man's soul, seeking even the slightest gap in his mental armor. But it was armor of the type that Aang had never seen before. The Avatar found himself unable to get a grip on the man's soul. There was no fear or uncertainty in his soul at all… in fact; Aang could not find any evidence of emotions at all! He couldn't even get a mental grip on this man's soul, let alone Bend it.

Aang's mind filled with horror as he realized: this was someone whose soul was [i]_truly_[/i] Unbendable! He did not have to fight against Aang in a direct contest of strength because the Avatar could never win.

Aang's fear at the inevitability of this lost battle put a gap in his mental defenses and the other Soulbender suddenly attacked, crushing Aang's Spirit with ruthless efficiency and Bending him into helplessness.

As per his orders, the Soulbender concentrated on Aang's mind rather than his soul, unlocking the gates of his memory so that anyone could come and alter them to their pleasure.

Without a word, the Soulbender backed away from the Avatar, who stood helplessly in the middle the clearing, unable to defend himself in even the smallest sense. He was physically and mentally open to any harm Azula wished to cause him.

Azula moved over to the prone Avatar, standing at his side, and leaning up to whisper in his ear. "Can you hear me?"

Aang nodded blankly. "Yes." He spoke in a monotone.

"Good. Now, listen to me…" Azula leaned closer into the Avatar's ear and whispered into his ear for several minutes. Nothing on Aang's face betrayed what she spoke to him, but he seemed to calmly accept it for the most part. The only sign of disquiet he showed was a single moment when his fingers twitched.

When she finally stopped speaking, she pulled away from him slightly. "Do you remember all those things?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that everything I said to you happened?"

"Yes."

"Good boy." Azula leaned up one final time, and kissed his cheek. "When I leave this clearing, you will forget ever meeting me and go back to your party like nothing happened. Remember, you will not remember the things I told you until the time is right."

"As you wish."

Without another word, Azula turned and walked out of the clearing, followed closely by the Soulbender.

As soon as Azula was gone from sight, Aang blinked and seemed to come to life, glancing around himself in confusion. He remembered coming out here after Toshi, but he suddenly had an urge to abandon his search for his son and head back to the party.

It was an urge he couldn't ignore, so he turned and walked back to the tavern.

* * *

**LES: What sort of memories did Azula plant into Aang's mind? Well… you'll have to wait and find out. *evil grin* **


	35. Forbidden Love

**LES: Sorry about the slight delay in the update. I've been busy getting ready for Christmas. You know how it is…**

**Chapter XVL: Forbidden Love

* * *

**

Aang returned to the party, slipping inside quietly. He didn't want to attract attention to the fact that he had gone, even though he wasn't sure why the deception was necessary. As far as he was concerned, he had only gone after Toshi for about four or five minutes. That was not enough time for anyone to get worried about his absence.

However, it seemed that Aang's assumption was wrong. Not only was every single person in the bar instantly aware of his return, they all demanded an explanation about where he had been for so long.

"What are you guys talking about?" Aang asked in regards to Zuko's question. "I was only gone for a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" Katara repeated. Aang could tell from the look on her face that she had been extremely worried about him, and he longed to comfort her. "Aang, you have been missing for over fifteen minutes! We've all been worried sick!"

"What? No. That's impossible." Aang said. "I've only been gone for five minutes at the most. I noticed Toshi slip out, and I went to follow him, and…" Aang paused. He felt like there was some really important words right on the tip of his tongue, but for the life of him, he could not remember what was so important. After a few moments, he dismissed the feeling. "I couldn't find Toshi, and I decided to come back. Nothing happened at all."

"Liar." Toph commented.

"I'm _not_ lying! It's the truth!" Aang said. "Look… you guys must be drunk and not able to keep track of time properly…"

"I'm not drunk, Aang." Katara said. "It's been over fifteen minutes." Katara was going to continue to press Aang for information when she noticed that Tenzin had gotten hold of the wine bottle yet again. "Tenzin, no!" Katara yelled, rushing across the tavern towards her rebellious son.

In the Gang's rush to assist Katara in getting Tenzin away from the wine, they had almost completely forgotten about Aang's strange absence, all except for one. Sokka, fighting through the haze of alcohol in his brain, continued to stare at Aang. He, for one, was more inclined to believe Toph when she said he was lying. He might say that nothing happened, but Sokka knew that something _had_ happened. The question was, _what_ had happened and why was Aang trying to hide it?

Sokka shook his head. It was far too hard to think of such things when he was drunk. He resolved to push the issue aside until he could devote more time to contemplating it. Unfortunately, he forgot about it.

* * *

A half an hour later, most of the people in the bar seemed to have forgotten Aang's strange disappearance and returned to their party. Aang certainly seemed to have forgotten it. He decided to have a few more drinks and joined the party with enthusiasm.

Across the bar, Michiko was attempting to tempt Anil into having at least one drink, which he adamantly refused.

"Come on, just one drink." Michiko said. "You won't even get bothered by one drink. The only reason the whole marriage incident happened last time was because you overdid it."

"No. I can't. Not even one." Anil said firmly. "I proved to myself that I can't handle liquor, and I can't embarrass myself like that again. I can't bring anymore shame to myself or my family. It's my duty and responsibility."

Michiko sighed. "You really are Uncle Aang's son. You sound just like him sometimes. So, come on, what's the big deal? You won't shame your family's name if you indulge in a single drink. Even your father is drinking."

"It's different for him." Anil said. "He's not just the leader of the Air Nomads, but he's the Avatar. Being the Avatar, he's allowed to kick back every once in a while. The leader of a nation must be able to control himself better."

Michiko laughed. "Last I checked, your father was the leader of a nation, not you." She continued to laugh for some time, but she trailed off when she realized that her older cousin was not laughing as well. "Um… Anil… you know you're supposed to laugh at jokes, right?"

"And if it's not a joke?"

"What do you mean 'not a joke'? You can't possibly be saying…" Michiko trailed off, her eyes growing wide as she stared at Anil. "No way… no way! Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Dad just told me." Anil said, quietly, confining in his trusted cousin. "In a few years, he's going to step down as the leader of the Air Nomads, and I'm going to take his place so he can focus on his Avatar duties."

"Wow! Wow! Head Monk Anil! That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Michiko said loudly, and Anil quickly shushed her.

"Shh! Not so loud! It's not common knowledge yet! I don't want everyone to know until I get a chance to adjust to the situation."

"Anil, you are going to be absolutely perfect." Michiko said. "Your father's been grooming you for this for years, I bet. You are the natural choice to succeed him. You are the eldest, the best Bender, and all your siblings adore you. You'll make a great leader."

"I hope I can live up to the praise." Anil said with a weak smile.

"You will. And if anyone gives you any trouble about it, I can always Earthbend them into submission." Michiko said with a wicked grin. Anil met her eyes and knew that she was being completely serious. After all, she had been trained by Toph and there were few alive who could defeat his cousin at Earthbending.

"I hope it doesn't come to that." He said hopefully.

* * *

Anil had worked quickly to quiet Michiko's excited outbursts upon learned that he was going to become the Head Monk of the Air Nomads, but he had not worked quickly enough. Sho and Ammy had been talking nearby and they both overheard Michiko's outburst, and both guessed instantly what it meant.

While a large smile formed on Ammy's face, a frown marred Sho's. He instantly turned and gazed at Anil, shock playing across his features.

_Anil is going to succeed Dad and become the new Head Monk?_ Sho questioned himself, hardly able to believe it. Succession. It was something that Sho had never really thought about, especially in terms of someone replacing his father. Sho loved Aang, and the young boy had trouble with the idea of his father's position as the Head Monk being replaced by anyone.

But as he thought about it more, he began to wonder why it was Anil who had been chosen to receive the honor. Sure, Anil was older than him, but only by a few months; and he was a better Bender. _But,_ Sho thought to himself, _Bending always came easily to Anil. He mastered lesson after lesson without so much as a struggle. He never had to work as hard for his skills as I have._ His uncle Zuko had shown him that prodigies did not always make the best leaders. He had heard that Uncle Zuko had to struggle for most of his life to learn Bending, but he was a strong leader… one of the best the Fire Nation ever had.

There had to be another reason.

Within moments, Sho realized what that reason was. Anil was the son of the woman he loved. Sho and all of Aang's children that had been born to him by other women had learned long ago that Katara was not really their mother, and many of them kept in contact with their mothers, including Sho. It took the children a while to get adjusted to the idea, but they all got over it, for it was clear to them that Katara loved them, and Aang loved them as well.

But… what if their father was giving Anil some special treatment because he was Katara's son? Had he ignored all his other children's hard work in mastering the Bending arts because Anil was his son with his beloved wife?

A part of Sho's mind denied the very idea that his father would be so petty, but a larger part was consumed by jealousy. _Why can't I have a chance to prove that I'd be a great leader?_ Sho thought to himself angrily.

As Sho continued to fume under the weight of his awakened jealousy, Ammy turned to him with a smile. "That's such good news…" She trailed off at the look on Sho's face. "Sho? What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

Sho met her eyes. "Ammy, do you ever feel like you… aren't appreciated?"

"What do you mean?" Ammy asked.

"I mean with our family."

"Well… I suppose it hurts sometimes that the others are so afraid of me and my powers." Ammy admitted. "But it's okay. I know that Mom and Dad love me, and so do you and Anil."

"Why do you keep calling Katara 'Mom'?" Sho asked. "You know that she's not your mother."

"Not biologically." Ammy said. "But I don't know my biological mother and, for all intents and purposes, she doesn't want to know me. Uncle Sokka once told me that she gave me way without even looking at me, because she was so ashamed about how sickly I was. Katara cared for me, stayed up with me late at night when I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, and raised me. Therefore, I consider her my mother."

"I wish I could feel the same as you."

"Don't you?"

"Why do you think that Father chose Anil?"

Ammy gave him a strange look. "He's the oldest, the best Bender, and the most respected of all of us."

"I work harder than Anil." Sho said.

"Sho… are you jealous?" Ammy asked.

"How am I supposed to feel when father made his _favorite_ son his heir without even considering the rest of us?"

"Favorite? Since when was Anil the favorite? There's nothing that Anil has that we do not have. Even if we are not born of his wife, Dad has never treated us with anything but love and respect."

"Do you really not understand?" Sho asked, his eyes dropping.

"Sho… I know that you feel hurt right now, but I can assure you that Anil becoming the new leader is for the best. The Air Nomad nation can be healed under him."

"You've seen this?"

"Yes."

"I could heal the Air Nomad nation as well." Sho said firmly, walking away from Ammy, feeling worse than ever.

Sho dodged a few of his siblings and stepped outside into the cool night air. The full moon stared down at him, taunting him with its light. Sho knew the story of Princess Yue, but he couldn't help but resent her. After all, how could one expect someone who had a miserable love life to become the patron Spirit of romance without some bitterness? Otherwise, why would she allow these feelings to blossom in his heart, forbidden to the point that it would sicken those who discovered his feelings?

It had started to happen a few years ago, but he took no notice of it at first. But the feelings grew until he was forced to concede that his feelings were genuine. The truth of his feelings made him feel no less bad because of them.

For how could anyone ever accept the fact that he had fallen in love with Ammy, his own half-sister?

He had once heard his father speak about love: about how love is beautiful in all its forms. Aang had used his love for his wife as an example: two people from different cultures and different times falling in love. But he and Katara were not related. No matter how you looked at it, Aang would never accept his son falling in love with his half-sister. No one would accept it. Sho was condemned to keep his feelings for her secret forever.

Sho slid down the wall, wrapping his arms around his knees, and he wept bitterly at his unrequited love, and the jealousy he felt, not only for Anil, but for all of his siblings who were free to love who they wanted and not have to hide it.

* * *

The party ended, and the Gang made their plans to go their separate ways. Toph and The Duke decided to go back to traveling the Earth Kingdom. Zuko's family had to return to their business in the Fire Nation. Sokka's family had to return to Kyoshi Island. The Avatar's massive family made their plans to depart for the Southern Air Temple the very next day.

* * *

**LES: Poor Sho. His forbidden love was planned from the beginning.**


	36. Did He Love You?

**LES: When I made the decision to have Sho fall in love with Ammy, I knew that people would be split on it. Some would understand, and some would be put off. I'm very happy to see that the over-all feelings about Sho's love leans towards understanding. We'll delve more into Sho's mind, since he's going to dominate the next few chapters.**

**Chapter XVIL: Did He Love You?

* * *

**

When Aang's family arrived back at the Southern Air Temple, Sho immediately locked himself in his room and did not come out again for quite some time.

Sho had never felt this badly before. It was almost comparable to the time he discovered that Katara was not his mother, nor was she the mother of more than half his siblings. But he had almost come to terms with the reality of his father's relationship with his mother. _Almost_.

But now the knowledge that Aang was going to make Anil the new leader of the Air Nomads had reawakened all those old feelings. _Did he ever really love us, or are we just a means to an end?_

None of his other siblings would understand. They all practically worshipped the ground that Katara walked on, and were more than happy to continue referring to her as their mother. Although many of them were in contact with their biological mothers, they did not maintain that contact like Sho did.

More than anything, Sho realized, he wanted to talk to his mother. If anyone could help him understand the meaning of his life, it would be his mother.

It was to this end that Sho approached his father soon after returning to the Air Temple.

"Um… Dad?" Sho called, drawing the Avatar's attention away from helping perfect Kya's technique.

"Yes, Sho, what is it?" Aang questioned, turning around.

"Um… I was just wondering if I could take a trip to the Fire Nation… to visit my mother, you know?" Sho asked politely.

"Oh… of course." Aang said, nodding. "Just be careful and don't push your bison too hard. He's still a bit young for non-stop flights."

"I promise I'll be careful and I won't push him too hard." Sho said. He was bound to his bison just like Aang was bound to Appa and could not bear to see him hurt or in pain. He would sooner allow himself to be injured or pushed too far than allow it to happen to his bison.

"If you get into trouble, remember that the power of air can save you." Aang reminded. "The world isn't nearly as dangerous as it was during the war, but there are still rogues who are willing to attack travelers."

"I'll be careful, Dad, I promise. It's not like I'll be camping in fields or anything like that." Sho said. One of the many perks of being the Avatar's son is that he was allowed houseroom pretty much anywhere he went. Inns always kept a few rooms open in case VIPs showed up, and Sho would be able to board in those rooms. "I'll be back soon." Sho promised, heading up to his room to get his things together for the trip into the Fire Nation.

Within an hour, he was able to leave with very little fanfare. Only Ammy noticed him leave. She waved at him out the window, and Sho felt his throat tighten painfully as he smiled and waved back.

Then he was on his way…

* * *

It took a little longer than Sho expected to reach the Fire Nation. If Aang were taking Appa, they would be able to fly out straight across the ocean and make a bee-line to the Fire Nation. But Sho's bison was too young for a trip like that, so Sho shirted the Earth Kingdom until he reached one of their general's bases and then cut across the ocean to the Fire Nation, which was only a few hours away from there.

When he arrived at the Fire Nation's royal palace, he was welcomed like royalty. After all, he was both the son of the Avatar and the son of Firelord Zuko's cousin. The blood of two Avatars flowed through his veins, making him very rare in a world where it was common to have some relation to the Avatar.

Sho's bison landed in the Palace square, and he leapt off the Bison's shoulders. They were first greeted by Kin, Firelord Zuko's bonded companion, the gold dragon. The two animals greeted each other with a sniff and then took off into the Air to show off their natural Bending skills. Dragons had wings, but they could not compare to a Sky Bison in flight, but Kin held his own by showing off his Firebending.

Sho watched the show for a few moments before he was greeted by Firelord Zuko. "Sho! It's good to see you again!" Zuko walked down the steps and pulled the young boy into an embrace. "Is your father here with you too?"

"No." Sho said. "Dad's still back at the Southern Air Temple. Why? Is something wrong?"

Zuko hesitated. "It may be nothing. The Anti-Bending movement has been getting more violent in the past weeks. A group of them tried to commit a terrorist act against the Fire Nation and kill innocent people. Thank the Spirits we found out on time and were able to stop them. We are still trying to discover if this was an isolated incident."

Sho mulled over this information. It made no sense to him. "But why would they attack the Fire Nation? Compared to the other nations, the Fire Nation has the lowest ratio of Benders. They would accomplish nothing but killing a lot of non-Benders. Wouldn't they be better off attacking us at the Air Temple? We have the highest ratio of Benders and we are the fewest in number."

Zuko shook his head. "They would not dare go against the Avatar. You and your family are very well protected at the Air Temple."

"Good point." Sho said. "Do you want me to inform my father when I get back?"

Zuko considered it. "No. I believe that I am still capable of handling it at this point. If it gets worse, then I'll send a message to the Air Temple myself."

"Very well." Sho said. "I'm actually here to visit my mother. Is she home?"

"Yes, she is." Zuko said, looking the young boy in the eyes. "Is everything all right? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, I promise. It was just; you know… a long flight." Sho lied.

Zuko stared at the young boy for a few moments, as if he suspected the lie. He knew from Aang that Air Nomads loved to travel, that nothing was a greater pleasure. But then the older man shook it off. "Very well. Off you go, then."

Sho bowed respectfully and then turned to leave the palace for his mother's house, which was not far from the palace.

* * *

As usual, it was not a member of Sho's family that answered the door, but one of their many servants. "Master Sho, welcome back." The butler said, bowing. "I assume that you want to see your mother?"

"If that's all right?"

"Of course it's all right." The butler said. "Lady Nera would never turn away her own son." With that, the butler led Sho through the house until he came to the door outside his mother's quarters. The butler knocked on the door. "Lady Nera, your son has arrived."

Sho could hear movement inside the room as his mother got up and opened the door. "Sho? Oh, Sho!" She pulled him into an embrace. "It's so good to see you! How long has it been since we last saw one another?"

"A few months." Sho said. "I'm sorry, Mom, I've been busy with my Airbending training. I should be able to earn my tattoos in a few weeks."

"That's completely understandable." Nera said. "I'm so proud of you. My son, a Master Bender… I never would have believed it possible… I'll bet that Avatar Aang is very pleased with your progress."

Sho's eyes fell, and Nera caught the look in her son's eyes. "Sho, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

"I… I don't know, Mom." Sho said nervously. "Can I… ask you something?"

"Of course, you know that you can ask me anything." Nera said.

"In the short time you were, um… _with_ my father, did you ever believe that he loved you at all?" Sho asked.

Lady Nera hesitated in her answer. "Wow, Sho… That was such a long time ago… When I was given the opportunity to join in the plan, I was captivated by him. He was a strong, handsome young man, and I do admit that there was a time when I wished…" Nera trailed off. "No. A silly adolescent fantasy. Avatar Aang was very courteous to myself and the other women, and he had nothing but respect for us. His wife was the same way even though she had enough reason to be jealous of the fact that we had knowledge of her husband. But I never believed that Avatar Aang loved me. He was all ready married to Katara, so none of us could sway his heart, nor did we even try."

"If he didn't love you and you didn't love him, how could you agree to go through with the Earth King's plan?" Sho asked.

"Because of what the Fire Nation did. If it were not for the Fire Nation's royal family, the Air Nomads would still be alive and he would have never been faced with repopulating an entire culture single-handedly in the first place. Helping him to rebuild was just paying back a small part of the debt that we owed him." Nera caught the look in Sho's eyes. "I know it's hard for you to understand, but helping the world balance itself again was a great honor."

"But…"

"Avatar Aang showed a great deal of respect to us, and that's all that matters."

"But, respect without love…"

"Sometimes, love is not necessary." Nera said.

"It is when there are children involved!" Sho spat harshly. "How is a child supposed to learn of love when their parents don't love each other?"

"You're parents _do_ love each other." Nera said. "I've never seen two people more in love than Aang and Katar…"

"Katara is not my mother!" Sho shouted. "You are!"

Nera gazed at him sadly. "It's true… I gave birth to you. But I have not had much part in your upbringing since you were three years old. Aang is your father and Katara is your mother."

Sho glared at her. "So, what? Is this it? Are you giving me up like Ammy's mother gave her up?"

"Oh, no! Never! Sho, I'd never give you up! I was just trying to say…" Nera said quickly, trying to spit the words out, but they did not come quickly enough.

Sho turned and began to walk out. "Its fine, Mom. I believe you've said enough."

"Sho!" Nera cried out as Sho slammed the door shut and began to stalk out of the house.

_Why did I come here?_ Sho thought to himself as he left the house and headed towards the city's outskirts. _Was I imagining that Mom was going to tell me that she and my father had a passionate love affair behind his wife's back? We all know that would never happen. What happened between my parents was a one-night stand, nothing more._

_ Dad didn't care for my mother the way he cared for Katara. He doesn't care about us poor Halflings the way he cares about his precious children with Katara._

Sho's dark musings continued in this way until he was well outside the city's limits. In fact, by the time he was consciously aware of his surroundings once again, the Palace City was not in sight.

"Where am I?" Sho asked himself.

"My, my? What are you doing out here in the wilderness?" A sudden, chilling voice said from a short distance away.

Sho spun around, drawing his staff for self-defense. On top of a small bluff several feet away, an older woman looked down on Sho with cold Fire Nation eyes.

Quite by accident, Sho had run straight into Azula.

* * *

**LES: In case you don't know, I post these chapters first on the forum "Kataang Forever", so I am able to get some feedback before I post it here. A friend of mine there commented on this chapter on how twisted Sho is. I was a bit shocked, because I had never thought of Sho as a twisted individual. She listed his various flaws, and when they are put like that... they do sound twisted. Loving his sister, wishing his father and mother would have an affair behind Katara's back, wanting to rule the Air Nomads. But, like everything else, there is a reason behind it. Sho is a flawed character, just like all the best characters are. What makes him so interesting, tho, is the fact that all his flaws stems from his greatest strength: his love. Sho loves Ammy very much and is in a lot of pain because he can never express that love. Sho loves Aang and Nera, and like most children, he wishes that his parents would love each other. Sho loves his family and truly believes that he would be a good leader.**

**I'd have to go out on a limb and say that, to me, he's even more interesting than Anil. So I hope that you don't see Sho as twisted, just love-sick and misguided.  
**


	37. Misguided

**Chapter XVIIL: Misguided**

For several moments, the two only stared at each other. Then Sho remembered his father's words that, while the world was a much safer place, you could never be too careful around strangers. He moved slowly, being careful not to make any sudden movements, and began to reach for the Bison whistle concealed in his shirt with one hand, and his staff with the other hand.

"I don't want to fight you." The woman said, watching his hands drift towards the staff. She took in his obvious Fire Nation features, but also his clothing which showed he was most definitely not from the Fire Nation. "Who are you? You're not Fire Nation."

"I'm half Fire Nation." Sho said cautiously after several moments.

"Half? Then, you must be…" The woman paused. "Are you one of the Avatar's children?" She asked.

"I am." Sho said cautiously.

While Azula's calm face never betrayed herself, on the inside, she was celebrating. She had been waiting for years for one of the Avatar's children to separate themselves from their father, but all the little brats seemed to be quite fond of him, despite the discord that should have been present among them. As she recalled, there were two Fire Nation children, two boys: one of them being the child of her cousin. She searched back in her memory, trying to remember the brat's name. Nera has certainly gushed a lot about the child during the three years that she had him, but Azula had tuned her out for the most part. Finally, she was able to remember a name that seemed possible. "You wouldn't happen to be Sho, would you?" She asked.

Sho's hand, which was still raised in preparation to grab his staff, instantly fell to his side. He was disarmed that she would know him, after all, the Avatar had many children, and lots of people had trouble remembering one from the other. He had been confused with Toshi, his brother from the Fire Nation, more often than he could count. "How did you guess my name?"

Azula allowed herself another mental celebration. This couldn't have gone more perfectly! Not only was she in contact with one of the Avatar's children, but it was also the only one that was related to her! "Of course I would know you, Sho." Azula said, injecting as much love as she could into her voice without over-doing it. "We are family, after all."

"Family?"

"Yes. Your mother is my cousin. I am your second cousin, but you can call me 'Aunt', if you want."

Sho remembered what he could about his mother's family. He knew that his mother was cousins with Firelord Zuko, and had many other cousins. So, he realized that it was fully possible that this woman would be related to him. But he still had to be sure. "Who was my mother's famous grandfather?"

"Avatar Roku, of course." Azula answered instantly.

As last, Sho relaxed around her. He couldn't possibly imagine that any of his relatives could be dangerous. This was because he had never been told of Azula. Everyone who knew her was very reluctant to talk about her and, for the most part, they pretended that she never existed. The only evidence that Azula left of her existence were the faded scars on Aang's back and Zuko's stomach.

"Now, tell me, young one… what are you doing out here alone in the wilderness?" Azula asked, sounding as concerned as a mother even though she had no feelings for him of the sort.

"I can take care of myself." Sho answered. "I was… thinking."

"That's a dangerous thing to be doing in these parts. The Anti-Bending movement is active here."

"They wouldn't dare attack me, unless they want their little movement obliterated." Sho said. "And what about you?"

"I'm not a Bender." Azula lied, shrugging. "They are no danger to me."

"They are not a threat to me, either." Sho said. "As soon as they see that I'm an Airbender, they will know that my father is the Avatar. He ignores them right now because they do not cause any trouble and are not violent. If that changed, or if any of his children got hurt by them, he would destroy them in a second."

"Oh, yes, I agree. There are few positions safer than being the Avatar's son." Azula said. "But then why are you walking out here, alone, in the wilderness, with such a sad look on your face?"

"Because… it's complicated." Sho said.

"We have time." Azula said. "What kind of aunt would I be if I could not help out a relative in his time of need. What is troubling you? I'll help you, if I can, and you can just think of it as fifteen years worth of advice."

Sho hesitated before speaking. He had never said out loud all that was bothering him to another human soul. All of the feelings made him feel like he was hurt and shamed, especially his love for Ammy.

"I… I overheard my brother and cousin talking the other day…" Sho began. "My eldest brother… he's my father's child with his wife and he's an Airbending prodigy. I never really minded how much better he was than me before, because he was always there to help me if I was struggling with a move. I heard him telling our cousin that our father was going to make him the new head of the Air Nomad nation after he steps down to concentrate on his Avatar duties."

Sho paused. "Anil is a good person. It's not that I think he'll be a terrible leader. It's just that… I'm worried that my father may have disregarded his other children in searching for his heir because…"

"Because Lady Katara is not your mother?" Azula finished.

"Yes." Sho said shamefully. "Everyone tells me that I'm being foolish, that Anil really is the best person for the job, but I think I should have been given the chance to prove that I'm a leader as well."

"But that's not all, is it?" Azula asked.

"Um… no." Sho said, choosing his words carefully. "I'm in love with someone… but I know that my father and family will never approve. I'm too scared to tell her how I feel because the reason we can never be together is something that I cannot change."

Even though Azula was getting bored with listening to the boy's woes, she forced herself to keep up the sympathetic act. Sho was nothing like Azula. He would not fall into Azula's plans willingly. The only way she could snare him was by making him believe that she really did care for his well-being and that her suggestions for how to deal with his problems were the best ones. She began making mental calculations about her plan, plotting exactly what to say to get Sho to do what she wanted without making him suspect that she was using him in her grand plan to tear his family apart. "What's so bad about this love?" She asked.

"I… I can't say." Sho said. "I don't want to. It's too hard to admit out loud. If I do, it will be that much more painful."

Azula nodded with pretend sympathy. "If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't press the issue." She said. "My dear, do you want me to help you with your problems?"

"Of course! If there is a solution, I have to try it!" Sho said.

"The solution is for you to take your brother's place as your father's heir." Azula said.

"But…"

"Listen, dear boy, you may not realize it, but strong noble blood flows through your veins. Not only are you the Avatar's son, but you are also one of the people in line for the throne of the Fire Nation."

"Rather distantly." Sho corrected.

"Royal blood is royal blood." Azula said. "You have been born with the right to rule, and it is very unfortunate that your father cannot see that, and instead gives the position to a son who does not have such an impressive heritage."

"But everyone treats Katara like a princess." Sho said.

"I knew Lady Katara before she married your father." Azula said. "She married into power, but there is not a drop of noble blood in her veins. Marrying the Avatar and coming onto power cannot compare to the centuries of grooming that the Fire Nation put into their royal family. Anil may be the son of the Avatar as well, but he is also the son of a peasant. You have the most grooming to become the new leader of the Air Nomads."

"But…" Sho began.

"And there are certain privileges that world leaders are entitled too." Azula said. "Just look at your father. Did you know that he married his wife in secret because he knew that the other nations would not approve of his marriage to her? Once they had said their vows, there was nothing any of them could do to overturn the marriage. His _power_ kept others from dissolving the marriage. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"You're saying that… if I became the leader of the Air Nomads… I would have the power to marry anyone I wanted without having someone come along and dissolve our marriage for being immoral?" Sho asked, sounding more excited.

"Exactly." Azula said with a smile.

Sho was enraptured by the mental image of himself, on his wedding day, staring into the glorious, glowing face of his bride, the woman he loved. He did not care if others disapproved. He did not care if her illnesses made it impossible for them to make love or for her to bare children. All that mattered was _being _with her and loving her with all of his heart, and she loving him back.

"How? How can I become the heir?" Sho asked, desperately. "Father has chosen Anil, and he will not change his mind, unless…" Sho trailed off, his smile fading. "I'm not going to kill Anil!"

"Oh, no!" Azula gasped with fake horror. "No, I would never ask that you kill someone! Death is not the only reason that someone would not make a good leader. All you have to do is prove that you're a better Airbender then Anil."

"How?"

"Defeat him in a duel." Azula said. "Your father will see that you are the better Airbender, and then he will come to see the other qualities that make you a good leader."

"But… he's a prodigy…" Sho said. "How can I ever defeat him?"

"Just because he's a prodigy does not mean that he is unbeatable." Azula said. "Trust me, I know."

"Okay… I'll try it. But…" Sho paused. "I'm still learning the 35th level of Airbending. I'll need to Master Airbending myself before I can stand a chance against him." What Sho did not know was that he had no knowledge that there was another level of Airbending, a level that both Aang and Anil knew of and had Mastered. Like Aang, Anil had learned the secret of Airbending after he'd received his tattoos. Anil didn't even know that there was a 36th level until after he got his tattoos, and he didn't learn the technique for many years after that. "I only need a few more weeks to Master Airbending, and then… I'll try."

"You take your time, and only face him when you are ready." Azula said. Azula swallowed her disgust and pulled Sho into an embrace. "I'll be praying to the Spirits for your success, young one." For once during this conversation, she wasn't being entirely untruthful.

"Thank you for the advice." Sho said, pulling out of her embrace and beginning to walk away at a swift pace, feeling better than he had in weeks.

Azula smiled to herself as he walked away. "Let the games begin." She said softly, letting a small chuckle escape her lips.

* * *

**LES: Ahh… it's so good to be writing crazy-but-not-psychotic Azula again. And it's so fun to give her the personality disorder that my mother constantly misdiagnosis's me with. Antisocial Personality Disorder happens to be exactly what Azula has, both in the show and in my story. Antisocial Personality Disorder does not mean that a person is shy or introverted. APDs operate under the delusion that they are the only 'real' people, and that everyone else is merely pawns to be manipulated. On the outside, they are charming and nice, but on the inside, they are plotting how to get what they want out of you without any regards to your feelings as a human being. It describes Azula perfectly, so that's what she has.**


	38. Confrontations

**Chapter XXXVIII: Confrontations

* * *

**

In due time, Sho returned to the Southern Air Temple in such good spirits that no one suspected the depression that he had gone through the last few weeks. No one suspected that he had run into one of the most dangerous people in the entire world while he was gone. It didn't really matter with his siblings. Only one of Aang's children knew anything about Azula. Anil had been told by his parents, the only one who had found out about Azula in this way. The name 'Azula' meant absolutely nothing to any of them.

When he got back, the first thing he did after checking in with his father was head up to Ammy's room. He still had no intention of telling her about his feelings, but with the increased hope that his feelings would not have to be hidden forever led to him wanting to spend more time with her than ever.

However, as soon as he reached out to touch the door that lead to her room, he heard her scream from inside: "Go away!"

Sho froze in shock, because Ammy had never spurned his company before. Indeed, since he was one of the few who were comfortable in Ammy's presence, she was always positively delighted to see him. He ignored her scream and opened the door. "Ammy?"

What he saw inside the room shocked him. She was lying in bed as she normally was, but instead of sitting up, fully alert, she was hiding under her blankets like a child scared of the dark, crying softly.

"Ammy!" Sho called over, moving over to her bedside, feeling sick with concern. "Please, Ammy, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

She did not receive a response rather than the intensity of her tears increasing. Sho sat down on the bed next to her, and to his shock, she moved out from under the blankets and wrapped her arms around Sho's neck, crying hard into his shoulder.

"Ammy, what is it? Please tell me." Sho begged. "I can't stand to see you hurting like this." He allowed himself a brief moment of weakness and pressed his face into her hair.

"Sho? Oh, Sho, I'm having… such terrible nightmares." Ammy cried. "Dad tried to tell me that they don't have to come true, and they never really felt all that certain before. But, over the last few days, I've been having the visions more regularly and with greater certainty."

"What do you see? Does someone get hurt?"

Ammy nodded. "Yes. Mom… and Dad." She said. "Something's going to happen, and it _is_ going to happen soon, I know it. Something is going to happen soon that will destroy the fabric of their love and marriage and tear them apart. I _know_ this is going to happen, but I don't know if they will have the strength to face the coming challenges."

"Ammy, Shh…" Sho whispered, holding her closer to himself. "I promise you that, no matter what, everything will be fine. If there is one thing that we know, it's that Dad and Katara really love each other, and nothing is going to tear them apart."

"You're wrong, Sho." Ammy said hopelessly. "Something will tear them apart. Now, it's only a matter of time."

"What happens?" Sho asked finally.

"I can't talk about it." Ammy said fearfully.

"Ammy, no matter what happens, I'll protect you." Sho said.

Ammy sighed. "Don't make me promises that you know that you can't keep, Sho." She said. "You cannot protect me from you." She said cryptically, leaving Sho confused. "Please, go." She said, a bit calmer than before.

Sho sighed, and then stood up. "Okay, Ammy, if you really want me to go." He glanced at her one last time before he left the room.

* * *

After the disastrous meeting with Ammy, Sho decided to head down to the practice area and devote himself to mastering the final level of Airbending. When he got there, the practice area was pretty much empty except for two other Airbenders: Anil and Tenzin.

Sho watched as Tenzin tried to complete an Airbending move of middling difficulty and fail at it. Anil watched his moves critically. "Come on, Ten, you're footwork is still not where it should be. Do it again, like this…" Anil said, performing the movements of the form slowly, forcing Tenzin's attention to his feet. Anil repeated the move, except faster this time, and performed the move with absolute perfection.

"Are you still struggling with that move, Ten?" Sho asked, walking over to the group.

"He just needs a little more time." Anil said. "We all have those moves that we struggle with."

"Except for you." Sho commented.

"Even me." Anil said, giving Sho an odd look. He couldn't very well tell Sho that the only move he had struggled with was the vacuum move. "So, how was your trip to the Fire Nation?"

"Hot, as always." Sho said. "You'd think me being half-Fire Nation would make me a little more tolerate of the heat."

"It doesn't work like that." Anil said. "I'm half-Water Tribe, but I can't stand the cold."

"Cold sucks." Tenzin commented, trying the move once again and failing at it.

"Remember how Mom took us down to the Southern Water Tribe to visit her family that one time?" Anil asked the younger boy.

"I remember never once stepping outside of the hut." Tenzin said.

"So, how come Dad isn't out here training him?"

"Well… training is officially over for the day." Anil said. "But I think that just a little more training will enable Tenzin to reach the next level of Airbending. Maybe then you'll actually be level with Kya and actually be the twins you are, right?" Tenzin rolled his eyes, and failed the move once again. "So I'm giving him some private training."

Sho tried very hard to not allow Anil to see the shock on his face. When Sho was learning Airbending, he had never, _once_ received any sort of private training from either his father or from Anil.

It suddenly occurred to Sho… Tenzin was the second child born to Aang and Katara. What if Aang and Anil were all ready working on making Tenzin the replacement heir if something were to happen to Anil? Tenzin would only be a viable heir if he Mastered Airbending, and now Anil was taking special care to help his struggling sibling.

"Well… good luck, Tenzin. I know that it's only a matter of time before you get it." Sho said stiffly, turning around and walking off. As he walked away, he heard the sounds behind him of Tenzin finally getting the move right, and Anil encouraging him to keep performing the move until it was second nature.

* * *

Sho slowly made his way up to his father's study. This was something that he couldn't believe. Perhaps choosing Anil as his heir was something that was mostly reasonable, but actively grooming Tenzin as a replacement over the heads of his other, more qualified children… Sho could not believe it of his father.

Sho stepped into the study without announcing himself, and regretted it. His father and Katara were all ready inside, and judging by things, she was giving his shoulders a massage. Sho amended his thought. _This really could have been worse._ Sho thought to himself. _Anil walked in on his parents having sex that one time. He was emotionally scarred for weeks._

Katara looked around. "Oh, Sho, what do you want?" She asked, and Aang also looked around.

"Um… Dad, can I talk to you?" Sho asked.

"Of course." Aang said, turning his chair around. Without any prompting, Katara abandoned her endeavor on Aang's shoulders and stepped out of the room.

They were both silent for a few moments before Sho spoke. "Dad, why did you choose Anil as your heir?"

For a long moment, Aang did not respond. "How did you find out about that?" He asked.

"I overheard Anil telling Michiko." Sho said.

"You shouldn't have found out yet." Aang said.

"Why? Because you were afraid that I'd be jealous?"

"Are you jealous?" Aang asked.

"Why did you choose him?" Sho asked.

Aang sighed. "I chose Anil because he is the best Bender. He has all the skills necessary to begin passing the art of Airbending on when I am no longer here. Because he was able to master Airbending so early, I was able to devote these last years to the study of other subjects he will need to know as the leader of the Air Nomads. Sho, Anil is the best decision. Even the Spirits agree."

"So he has all ready received The Avatar's Blessing?"

"Not officially." Aang said. "He'll try for it when he's eighteen."

"Okay, then let's say Anil does not receive the blessing…" Sho said. "Who would be next?"

"It would be…"

"Tenzin, right?"

"Tenzin?" Aang asked, shocked. "Tenzin is nowhere near the top of my list of possible heirs. Why would you suggest him?"

"When I came back, I saw Anil giving Tenzin private Airbending lessons."

"I did not ask Anil to do that." Aang said calmly.

"Then Anil is just trying to 'keep it in the family' is he?" Sho asked, getting angrier. "Give Tenzin personal training so that he can Master Airbending quicker and become the next viable heir after him?"

"Sho, what are you talking about?"

"Why did I never receive specialized help when _I_ was struggling with Airbending?" Sho demanded.

"Everyone struggles with Airbending sometimes." Aang said. "But, despite your struggles, you were on the right track to Master Airbending. Tenzin is… he's struggling badly. He is at a lower level than someone his age should be. I suspect that Anil wants to help him get up the proper level."

"Just admit it!" Sho was yelling now. "You don't care about any of the children that are not yours with Katara!"

It was only at this point that Aang lost his temper with the young Airbender. He stood up, and the torches around the room flared. "How dare you speak to me that way!" Aang said with a raised voice. "How could I _not_ care about you or your siblings? I love all of you!"

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing that you care!" Sho yelled back, beginning to storm out of the room.

Aang's anger drained from him. "Sho! Wait!" He gasped, moving forward, but it was too late. Sho slammed the door shut in Aang's face.

* * *

**LES: Poor, poor, misunderstandings.**


	39. Am I A Bad Father?

**Chapter XXXIX: Am I A Bad Father?**

* * *

As the door slammed shut in Aang's face, he groaned and leaned against the cool wood. For several moments, he remained like this before straightening and looking around at the door that Katara had left out of moments ago.

"You can come back in now." Aang called.

A moment passed and the door opened, and Katara stepped into the room. "You knew I was there?"

"Earthbending vision." Aang said. "It seems that we've both got a problem with eavesdropping." He walked over to the chair and sat down, holding his head.

Katara moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around her husband. "Aang…"

"Katara…" Aang whispered, looking up at her. "Do you think I'm a bad father?"

"What? No, Aang! No." Katara responded. "Why would you think that?" She asked.

"Before Anil was born, and I traveled to talk to your father about being a father… do you remember?" Aang asked, and Katara nodded. "Hakoda told me to be careful to avoid favoring the children. Could I… could I have been favoring Anil without even knowing it?"

"No, Aang." Katara said, embracing him. "You spent a week making the decision. I've been married to you for seventeen years, and in that time I've seen you as both a husband and a father. You are a wonderful father. Your children love you. And there is nothing that you have given Anil, Tenzin, Kya, or Neela that you have not also given to your other children. I want for nothing, and they want for nothing."

"But what if I am favoring Anil?" Aang asked desperately.

"You are not favoring any of your children." Katara said. "Making Anil the next leader of the Air Nomads is not favoritism, it is the best choice. Even the other Avatars agree with you. He has been trained for this his whole life, he is the best Airbender and the best choice to begin teaching the next generations, and his siblings love and respect him."

"I don't think that Sho feels that way anymore." Aang said.

"Aang, I know that you've never had siblings, but jealousies popping up among siblings are not all that uncommon." Katara said. "We've dealt with this before. It might take some time, but Sho will calm down. Once he has calmed down, you can explain to him why you picked Anil as your primary heir and that Tenzin is not the next in line after him."

"I wish he could have just let me tell him that he's the next in line after Anil." Aang said, sighing heavily.

"He'll calm down, and then you can tell him." Katara assured him. "I promise... everything will be fine." She said, pulling him into a kiss, which he eagerly returned, desperate for some of her comfort.

Aang wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss.

After several minutes of indulging in his hunger for her kisses, Katara pulled away slightly. "Aang, I have some good news for you." She whispered. "It just might make you feel better."

"Really?" Aang asked, staring into her eyes.

"In fact, I'm sure that it will make you feel better." Katara said, embracing him, and whispered into his ear. "Aang… I'm pregnant."

Aang froze as Katara pulled away from him to gaze into his eyes. "Really?" Aang gasped, sounding both shocked and amazed.

"Yeah." She said. "It looks like we're going to get our wish for another baby after all."

"Katara, this is…" Aang whispered, placing his hands on her waist. "This is such good news!" He said fondly, kissing her.

"And, according to my calculations, this baby will be born in winter." Katara said.

"A Waterbender." Aang said, catching on. "I hope we have another blue-eyed child. We don't have enough of those."

Katara smiled at his enthusiasm, pulling him into another kiss.

"I love you so much." Aang said seriously. "Oh Spirits, Katara, I want to make love to you so badly right now."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Katara giggled girlishly, shrieking with laughter as he picked her up and began to carry her to bed. Aang gently set her down on the bed and crawled over her, kissing her neck.

"I love you." Katara whispered as his hand found its way under her robes.

"I love you too, Katara." Aang whispered.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25251107724 / dvl - chapter - 39 - lemon

* * *

A minute later, Aang gathered the will power to roll off her body and lie next to her, and Katara instantly curled herself into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, and her fingers drawing little patterns on his sweat-dampened chest.

As they lay together, panting heavily in the aftermath of their lovemaking, Aang twisted his head to look down at Katara. "There's… just one thing, Katara."

"What is it?" Katara asked, caressing his face.

"About the baby…" Aang said, placing his hand on her lower abdomen. "We shouldn't tell the children right now."

"Why?" Katara asked.

"Because of Sho." Aang said. "Just let me get things cleared up with him first, and then we'll make the announcement and celebrate properly."

Katara sighed heavily, leaning down against her husband's chest. "Okay, Aang. I trust you to do the right thing, both with Sho and our new baby."

"I always try." Aang said, sighing heavily and embracing her, content to just lie there, cuddle, and rest.

* * *

Sho stormed away from his father's room and angrily made his way to his own room.

"Sho!" Someone called after him, but he ignored the voice and stepped into his room, slamming the door after him. Sho stomped around the room angrily for a few moments, and then stopped and unleashed a violent Airbending move that created a strong gust of wind that put the whole room in a state of disorder. A part of him knew that he would have to clean up after himself later, but he did not care.

He flopped down on the bed with an angry growl, and ignored the sound of someone stepping into the room.

"Sho?" The young Airbender looked around and groaned in pain when he saw that it was Ammy.

He turned away from her, unable to look at her. "You shouldn't be up and about." He said shortly.

"I think I'm where I need to be." Ammy said, sitting next to him.

"Good. Then maybe you can explain yourself." Sho said, sitting up. "Just what is this big calamity you see coming up for Dad. You keep saying it's going to happen, but you haven't said what it is. And you said that you need protection from me. Why would you say that? You _know _that I would never do anything to harm you! I l… I care about you." Sho was barely able to stop himself from confessing his love in time.

Ammy stared down at her folded hands. "I don't know what is going to drive them apart." She said. "All I see is anger, hurt, betrayal, and anguish. I see Mom leaving the Southern Air Temple forever. I feel Dad's pain. But that is all. And as for you… I know that you would never hurt me directly, but you are doing things that could hurt me indirectly. I can't survive without a skilled Water Tribe healer to give me regular healings. Right now, that healer is Mom. Hitomi could heal me for a while, but she's not nearly as skilled as Mom is. I'm telling you now, if Mom leaves the Southern Air Temple, and there is no Master Healer to take her place, I would not survive until my next birthday."

"That won't happen." Sho said firmly.

"My life has been fragile since birth." Ammy said.

"If Katara really is going to leave the Southern Air Temple… you said that there's no avoiding it now… then there's nothing anyone can do to save your life?" Sho asked desperately.

"There is still a slim chance." Ammy said. "You're choices always matter. But you have to choose to do the right thing… right now. Tell Dad or Anil _everything_."

"Can't you see? I am doing the right thing." Sho said desperately.

Ammy sighed, and began to limp out of the room. "Then you've sentenced me to death, as surely as if you killed me yourself." She stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Sho sat up on his bed and drew his knees to himself. But, after several minutes, he began to feel better. _Even if Katara leaves, it would not be hopeless for Ammy. If I'm the leader of the Air Nomads, then I can commission a healer for her. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. I'd better start training…_

* * *

**LES: How about a little clue about the next chapter to give you something to look forward to? When I was writing the outline, I did not give any of the chapters names, but the next one got a nickname. In my head, I called Chapter 40 "The Shit Hits the Fan Chapter". It will be coming out soon.**


	40. Betrayed

**LES: So… here it is! Time to throw all the shit that's been hanging around the entire story into the fan and create the mess I've been building up to this entire time! Woot! Well… actually, it's nothing to celebrate. *waves Kataang flag feebly***

**Chapter XL: Betrayed

* * *

**

It was a beautiful day at the Southern Air Temple, a perfect day to just be lazy. In fact, there was to be no Airbending lessons from Aang today. The only people at the training arena were Anil and Tenzin. Tenzin had improved in his Airbending in the last few days.

Overall, Anil was really pleased with his sibling's abilities, but best of all was Sho's abilities. Anil had yesterday witnessed him perform the final move set for the thirty-fifth level of Airbending correctly, and was planning on meeting with his father that afternoon to recommend that Sho be prepared to receive his tattoos. All that was left was for Sho to be taught how to teach Airbending, and Aang and Anil would no longer be the sole teachers.

"Very good, Ten." Anil said proudly as he watched Tenzin perform a move that he had previously struggled with a great deal. "I think you're ready to move onto the next set."

Tenzin turned to smile at his older brother and then froze, staring at something just over Anil's shoulder. Anil blinked in confusion and then turned to face what had caught Tenzin's attention. He gasped at the sight and then sprang into action.

A strange woman was staggering towards them from across the training field, her head and shoulders bowed with great suffering. She had the look of one who had traveled for weeks on-foot to reach the Air Temple. Her clothes were filled with holes and filthy, her hair was a mess and she had a wild look about her, and she clutched a cloth-covered bundle to her breast tightly like it was the most important thing in the world to her.

She gazed over at Anil and Tenzin with dull, lifeless eyes. "Help me… Avatar…" She gasped, before falling to her knees. Anil and Tenzin both rushed over and caught her before she collapsed on the ground.

"Who is this?" Tenzin asked, confused, for he had never seen someone like this before.

Anil shook his head in confusion. He could tell from her look that she was Fire Nation, and what remained of her clothes were fine enough to suggest that she was once Fire Nation nobility, but he was sure that he had never seen this woman before.

"She said 'Avatar'." Tenzin continued. "Do you think she's come to see Dad?"

"It's possible." Anil said. They had people showing up to the Temple like this every once in a while, begging for aid. It was just that they rarely saw someone in such distress upon their arrival. "She's in no condition to meet Dad right now. We'll wait until she wakes up."

"What do you think she's holding?" Tenzin asked, leaning forward and pulling aside the cloth that covered her bundle, and then he pulled back with a gasp. "It's a little kid!"

Anil looked over to confirm what Tenzin said. It was, indeed, a small child, perhaps no older than three or four years old. He did not look nearly as distressed as the woman did, and he was sound asleep against her breast.

Anil nodded and took charge of the situation. "Tenzin, you grab the child. I'll carry the woman. Let's take them inside." Tenzin nodded and pried the child out of the woman's arms, and Anil picked the woman up, carrying her bridal style. "Follow me." Anil said, as they carried the woman and child inside the Temple.

* * *

It took a few hours for the woman to regain consciousness. She sat up suddenly, clutching at her breast where the child no longer was. "My baby!" She gasped.

"Calm down." A soothing voice said. The woman glanced around and saw that another woman, a Water Tribe woman that had to be Lady Katara, was in the room with her. "Your baby is fine. He's still asleep, right over there." She pointed towards a little cradle that she had set up in the room. "It's you we've been worried about. You're in awfully bad shape."

The woman blushed as Katara spoke, but Katara could not imagine why. "Please, I must speak with Avatar Aang."

"We know." Katara said. "My eldest son, Anil, has gone to get his father just before you woke up. I was able to sense that you were waking up. They should be here in a few minutes."

The woman nodded. "Thank you. Can I… have my baby, please?" She asked.

"Of course." Katara said, walking over to the cradle and carefully lifting the child from the crib with the gentleness of an experienced mother and handing the still-sleeping child to his mother.

Katara went back to checking the woman over with her healing powers, but she stopped when the door to the room opened up and her husband and son stepped into the room.

"I heard that we have a refugee…" Aang began, and then trailed off when he caught sight of the woman and her child. He could not understand what was going on with him. At the sight of these two refugees, something inside his mind suddenly broke and he remembered something that he had tried so hard to make himself forget.

He remembered this woman: Mitsuko, a woman that he had met over six years ago in the Fire Nation. They had become fast friends and he visited her every chance he had when he was in the Fire Nation. However, over the course of their friendship, he had found himself developing shameful feelings of passion and lust for her. He had held himself back until she had confessed to him that she felt the same way. He remembered… Aang felt sickened. He remembered sneaking around behind his wife's back for several, passionate trysts with Mitsuko, which ultimately led to her pregnancy. Mitsuko, knowing the forbidden nature of what they had done, opted to end their relationship and raise Aang's child alone. Aang had reluctantly agreed to the plan, under the circumstances that they never contact each other, lest Katara find out what they had done. He remembered being so hurt at losing the woman he loved and his unborn child that he had forced himself to put it out of his mind, never to think about it again because it was simply too painful.

All those feelings came rushing back at once. But there was something else… he was sickened… repulsed with himself.

_No… these memories can't be real!_ Aang shouted mentally at himself. But the memories were so vivid! He could hear every gasp from her lips, see every drop of sweat on her brow, and feel every time she dug her fingernails into his back as they made love. He could hear her whisper how much she loved him, and himself replying that he could be with her if… _if_ he were not all ready married.

While Aang was struggling with the memories that were building up inside him, the woman got out of bed and flung herself at him, pressed against his body, crying onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I know that I promised you that we would keep what happened between us a secret, but I can no longer."

Anil jumped forward and pulled the woman off his father. "What's going on here?" He demanded.

"I lied to my parents." The woman said, ignoring Anil's question as she continued to stare at Aang. "I told them that the child belonged to the man that I got betrothed to after we parted ways, but they found out."

"Aang, what's going on?" Katara asked, confused by the woman's ramblings.

"Katara, I…" Aang gasped, horrified at the words of confession that almost came out of him.

"Please, Aang, I need you to afford me the same rights as the women who were a part of the plan, even though I'm not." Mitsuko pleaded. "My parents found that that this child is yours, and they have disowned me. I need you to take your child." She held her baby out to Aang imploringly.

A painful silence filled the room. For a while, no one spoke, until Anil stepped forward, his face full of anger. "You lie!" He accused.

"Why would I lie about this?" Mitsuko screamed at him. "You don't think I'd much rather go on pretending that this child is my betrothed's son? This child is equal parts love and shame!"

With all the screaming, the child finally woke up with a cry, and Katara gasped in shock. The child clearly had gray eyes. Gray was one of the rarest eye colors in the world since the Air Nomads had been destroyed, the odds of the woman's story being a lie were extremely low.

Katara felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart, and she staggered as if from a physical blow. "Mom!" Anil gasped, steadying her. "Do you… honestly believe this?"

"I don't know what to believe." Katara gasped, glancing at her husband. "Aang…" She did not say it, but her eyes were begging. 'Please tell me that this is not true.'

Aang hesitated before he began to respond. "… Katara…"

Katara stood up, away from her son, as she found strength in her legs again. "Enough. Your hesitation says it all." She turned and headed out the door, followed closely by Aang. Mitsuko attempted to follow them, but Anil stopped her forcefully.

"You stay right there!" He growled dangerously. "_I'll_ deal with you later." He didn't spare her another glance as he turned to follow his parents.

Katara stormed down the hallway to their bedroom, with Aang following her, calling out to her imploringly. "Katara… Katara… Katara, please…" Katara stepped into the room, and Aang managed to get in before she slammed the door. "Katara, please, listen to me!" He begged.

"I don't want to hear any more from you!" Katara yelled, going to the closet and beginning to gather some things. "You can't even deny what she says!"

"There's something wrong!" Aang yelled.

"Yes, there is something wrong!" Katara rounded on him, rage in her eyes. "You see, seventeen years ago, this woman's husband goes through with a shameful 'repopulation' plan. It was his duty! He assured his wife that she would be the only one he ever loved. And his wife… his _stupid, blind_ wife was foolish enough to believe him!"

"Katara, no, it wasn't like that!"

"But, oh no, it's gets even worse than that!" Katara continued to rant. "A few years later, this two-timing husband promised his fool of a wife that he was finished with the repopulation plan! He vowed to dedicate himself only to his wife and the children they all ready had. But that was just a lie too, and that dumb wife… she just kept swallowing them!" With every sentence she threw some more clothes into a travel bag and with the final word, she cinched it shut.

"Katara, what are you doing?" Aang asked desperately as she walked out of the room.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Katara asked rhetorically. "This stupid wife is finally doing something smart for the first time in her whole sham of marriage."

"Katara, please, just think about…" Aang's pleading grew more and more desperate as she made her way down through the Temple, attracting the attention of the other children.

"I don't _need_ to think about it!" Katara yelled.

"Wait, Mom!" Anil gasped, following them. He sounded almost as desperate as Aang did. "There has to be some explanation…"

"What explanation? What could possibly explain this?" Katara yelled. "Anil, get your bison!"

"Mom!" Anil gasped.

"Katara, no!" Aang screamed out, rushing forward and grabbing onto her arm.

Quicker than anyone could react, Katara pulled her arm from Aang's grip, turned around, and slapped him hard across the face. The blow sent Aang reeling, not from physical pain, but emotional pain instead.

The entire Temple, and all the watching children fell silent, staring in shock at the sight. They had never seen their parents get so angry as to strike each other.

Katara's rage-filled voice broke the silence. "Don't touch me! You have no _right_ to touch me!"

"I… I'm your husband." Aang said desperately.

"You are not my husband." Katara said coldly. "I renounce my marriage to you. Now, if you _don't_ mind, I'm taking _my_ children with me! It's not like you won't have children of your own to keep you company."

"Mom…" Anil began.

"Tenzin, Kya, Neela… get your things together. We're leaving in five minutes. Anil…" She looked to her eldest son.

Anil hesitated, glancing between her mother and father. "No." He said finally. "I'm not staying with you, Mother."

"Anil…"

"No! I have come of age, and I am old enough to decide for myself where I'm going to go!" Anil said. "You can't ask me to chose between my parents, because I'm not going to. I'll take you on my Bison to wherever you want to go, but after that, I'm coming back to the Southern Air Temple, and then moving to one of the other Temples. I'll visit both of you, but I'm not pushing one or the other out of my life."

"Get your bison." Katara said simply. "I can't be here any longer."

"Katara, please… I… I love you." Aang said desperately.

"If you ever did love me, Aang, it's been a long time since you've felt it." Katara said coldly, waiting for her children to get their things together while Aang continued to beg her to stay, all of his words ignored.

Ten minutes later, Anil's bison took the sky, carrying Katara, Tenzin, Kya, and little Neela away from the Air Temple.

Aang stood rooted to the same spot where Katara had told him that they were no longer married, shaking with repressed pain and anguish. He felt as if his heart had been ripped right out of his chest. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. The only thing that mattered to him at all was that Katara, the love of his life, was gone forever.

Aang fell to his knees and smashed his fists into the ground, causing a violent earthquake to erupt. His eyes and tattoos lit up, fueled by the pain and hurt that he was feeling, and he screamed, releasing all the pain and anguish of a thousand lifetimes at once.

* * *

**LES: I've lost count of the number of reviews that I've gotten saying "Katara should feel more resentment towards the plan". How's that for resentment? See? The shit has really hit the fan now!**

***Edit: There is a lot of confusion about this chapter. It was something that I thought was obvious, but I guess it's not as obvious as I thought. The memories of Aang cheating on Katara with Mitsuko are NOT REAL! Yes, they are not real! Remember Aang's encounter with Azula and the Soulbender? Now you know the time bomb that she implanted in him. Azula gave him the details of his infidelity and made him only remember it when he set eyes on Mitsuko and her child. For realz: Aang has never met Mitsuko before in his life, let alone fell in love with her or had an illegitimate child.  
**

**Evil question time: Would you prefer that I post another chapter next time, or a humorous Companion fic?  
**


	41. The Aftermath

**LES: So… the vote was for the next chapter, pretty much overwhelmingly. (One reviewer even wrote: "No companion fics until you finish this one!) Don't worry those of you who wanted a humorous companion fic. I'm still planning on writing it. Anyway, I apologize if something was not clear in the last chapter. I purposefully avoided coming right out and saying it because I thought it was obvious.**

**Aang's memories of cheating with Mitsuko behind Katara's back are NOT REAL. Those memories were planted in him by Azula for the sole purpose of tearing Aang and Katara apart.**

**This chapter is split into two parts. Part one is with Katara, and part two is back at the Southern Air Temple.**

**Chapter XIL: The Aftermath

* * *

**

**Katara**

The entire island of Kyoshi had been shocked when Katara, Anil, Tenzin, Kya, and Neela showed up there without any sign of the rest of the 'Avatar Clan' and with Aang nowhere in sight. Their misgivings increased when Anil helped everyone unload and, giving an embrace to his tearful mother, took off once again, leaving the others behind while he began to head south back to the Temple.

Normally, when she came to Kyoshi Island, she was allowed to stay in the Avatar's home, it was only natural to allow her to stay there since she was married to the Avatar. However, when the village's headman offered her the stately villa, Katara refused to stay there and insisted on rooming in her brother's house instead.

Sokka was more than happy to take his sister in, but understandably confused by the reason and circumstances for her visit. His feelings of disquiet increased until they finally burst when, as soon as she was out of the public eye and the tearful children were put to sleep, Katara burst into unrestrained tears, holding onto her brother with all she had.

"Katara? Katara! What happened?" Sokka asked. "I got the feeling you didn't want to talk about whatever's bothering you in front of the village, but you know that you can always tell me anything."

"I'll get some tea." Suki said, running off to get some with her daughter, Michiko.

Sokka picked Katara up in his arms and carried her over to one of the couches, and she continued to sob into his chest.

"Oh, Sokka…" She finally began. "I've never thanked you enough for always being there for me." She said tearfully.

"We're siblings." Sokka said. "We may get on each other's nerves from time to time, but you know that I've always got your back. Now, tell me, what's wrong?"

"I'm a failure, Sokka." Katara cried. "In the entire history of the Avatar, there has never been an instance of the Avatar's marriage failing." Katara snorted sorrowfully. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Sokka asked. "Did you and Aang…?"

"Separate?" Katara finished with a sob. "Yes, I left him."

"But… I don't understand." Sokka began. "You two were so happy together. I'd never seen two people more in love than you two… unless it was me and Suki. What could have possibly happened?"

"We _were_ happy together." Katara said. "I wish I could still be happy with him. I'd wish for nothing more than to go back to the Air Temple, fall into his arms, and tell me that everything's going to be all right. That's the worst part, Sokka… I still love him… even after what he's done to me…"

Sokka felt his rage growing, and he grabbed Katara's shoulders. "What did he do to you?"

"Do you remember when I was pregnant with Tenzin and Kya?" Katara asked.

"Yes." Sokka said.

"He made me a promise the night I told him about my pregnancy. He swore on everything that made him the Avatar that he was finished with the repopulation plan and that I would be the only woman to ever know him as a husband from that point on." Katara said. "But he lied to me."

"He…" Sokka began, putting the pieces together even as Katara erupted and spilled everything.

"He flat-out _lied_ to me! He went behind my back and had a child with another woman. That was pretty clear when this woman showed up to the Air Temple with a gray eyed child in tow, begging for Aang to take him… to take care of his son." Katara said, hysteria creeping into her voice. "I don't know how long it's been going on… four or five years at least."

A powerful rage came over Sokka, and for several moments, all he could see was red. He was one of the people who had misgivings about the whole repopulation plan, but he had eventually come to accept that it was not about the novelty of having sex with many women for Aang, but simply a way to bring his people back when no other options existed. But… it turned out he was wrong about that monk. Aang had finally proven himself to be a hormonal bastard, just like the many other pathetic souls who were not worthy of his sister.

The thing that made it worse was that Aang had only shown his true colors after seventeen years of marriage, leaving his once strong, proud sister heartbroken and an emotional wreak.

_I should have realized._ Sokka realized, remembering the night of their reunion, how Aang had snuck away from the party and returned without any good explanation. _Was he sneaking out and having his way with the woman of Kyoshi as well?_ Some of his old fangirls were still around, and many would probably be happy to lay with him, given the chance, married or not.

One thought rung clear and true in his rage-filled mind. He had long ago promised Aang that if he hurt his sister, he would beat him so hard that his past lives would end up with the bruises. It was time to make good on that threat.

Sokka pulled his sister into an embrace. "Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of everything." He pulled away from her, and stormed out of the house, intent on taking the next ship to the Southern Air Temple. He had a little bit of unfinished business with his ex-brother-in-law to deal with.

After Sokka left, Suki came back into the room, carrying a pot of tea and some cups. She noticed her husband's absence right away. "Where's Sokka?" She asked, and Katara shrugged.

"I don't know." Katara said hollowly.

"Hey…" Suki said, sitting next to her and pouring her a cup of tea. "I know that things look bad right now, but Sokka and I will let you stay here for as long as you like. Everything's going to be all right."

"Nothing is going to be all right, Suki." Katara said. "You see, I haven't even told you the worst part of all this…"

"Worse? What could possibly be worse than an unfaithful husband?" Suki asked, confused.

"Do you really want to know?" Katara asked, pressing her hands to her lower abdomen. "I'm pregnant with my unfaithful husband's child."

Suki did not… could not respond to that. She realized that Katara was right… there were worse things than having an unfaithful husband.

* * *

**Aang**

In the days after Katara's departure from the Air Temple, life seemed to come to a stand-still for the young clan of Airbenders still living on the mountain.

Anil returned to the Southern Air Temple to find his siblings confused and bored, but mostly concerned for the state of their family. It took only a few questions for Anil to find out why all life seemed to have deserted the Temple.

After Katara had left, Aang had spent the entire night in the same place Anil had left him, crouched down on the Temple floor, alternating between sobbing and entering the Avatar State at random intervals. However, as the sun had risen at the Temple, Aang had relocated himself to his room and had stayed there.

He did not come out, he did not move, he did not speak, and for all accounts, he did not give a single sign of life at all. He seemed content to sit in bed and stare at the blank walls for hours on end, refusing food, sleep, and company.

It was clear to Anil after trying one time to get his father out of the room, and Aang only responded with an angry yell for him to get out, sent a strong gust of wind at him, knocking him out of the room, and sealing the door and windows with Earthbending; his father had falling into a deep depression.

But the world did not come to a halt just because Aang's world had stopped. Letters and summons for the Avatar continued to pour into the Temple, asking for advice and assistance. No matter how much Anil pleaded with his father through the earthen blockade to do his duty as the Avatar, he could not rouse him.

Losing Katara had broken Aang, and Anil became all the more convinced that there was something not right about what had happened the day that _that woman_ showed up.

If his father did not care about his mother, then why would he sink into such a deep depression upon her leaving? And if he supposedly loved this woman and her child, why was he making absolutely no effort to connect to them? Something was just not adding up.

Anil was absolutely sure that his father had not cheated on his mother, but if that was true, why was his father acting like he had. He had seen the look of guilt on Aang's face that day just as his mother had. The more he thought about it, the fishier the whole situation smelled, and Anil had never liked fish.

In light of his father's depression, Anil decided he would hold off going to one of the other Air Temples and step into his father's shoes as much as possible. He could run the Temple, train his siblings, and even give some advice in his father's place, and he did very well in those things. But there were things he could not do: be the Avatar and be a father.

The first order of business was dealing with Mitsuko and her child. While Anil was gone, his siblings were smart enough to keep her away from Aang. And when Anil got back, even when Aang was not locked up in his room, he had refused to let her have contact with him.

"But maybe I could help him." Mitsuko said.

"My father has not called for you, so I will not send you in." Anil said firmly. "I have doubts about the truth of your story and as far as I can see, sending you in there will just make things worse for my father and my family. Therefore, as long as I'm the leader of this Temple, I will not allow you a single glimpse of my father."

Mitsuko began to cry. "You can't send me away! I'll die! My baby will die!"

"I never said anything about sending you or your child away." Anil said. "Until your child's fate is decided, I will claim him as my own and take full responsibility for him. For now, I am the father. Do I make myself clear?"

Mitsuko trembled. "Yes."

"Good. Now go back to your quarters. I have a mess to clean up."

Anil dedicated himself to filling his father's shoes. He worked with his siblings in the morning, and then attempted to catch up on all his father's work in the evening. Even with his specialized training, some of the situations where advice was asked of him went far over his head, and he often had to ask his siblings' advice.

Ammy was the most helpful, who used her gift of being able to travel to the Spirit World to help her older brother whenever possible. Of course, she could not travel whenever she wanted, but when she did, she remembered what problems were bothering Anil and were able to ask the Spirit's advice.

"What does the Spirit World look like, Ammy?" Anil asked one day, knowing that one of his father's duties was to monitor the Spirit World.

"I don't know." Ammy confessed. "I'm not much of an expert on the Spirit World, but it seems… darker… gloomier than normal. I ran into Avatar Kuruk today, but he did not respond to me. He was… just like Dad."

Anil paused thoughtfully before answering. "Do you think it's possible for the Avatar's moods to affect the Spirit World?" Anil asked. "Do you think all the Spirits are falling into a depression because of Dad?"

"That would certainly explain it, even though I've never heard of it being possible." Ammy said. "I can certainly imagine the former Avatars being affected first, and then the rest of the Spirit World."

"There's something else." Anil said. "People from all over the world are sending in reports of Bending getting weaker. Some people in certain places have lost their ability to Bend all together."

"Bending power comes from the Spirits." Ammy said. "This much I know."

"There is some precedent to Avatar moods affecting people's ability to Bend." A new voice said. Anil looked around and saw that it was his Waterbending half-sister, Hitomi. "I hope I'm not interrupting something? I just came to give Ammy her healing. I think Sho was about to punch me if I didn't come any faster."

"No, go ahead." Anil said, just as concerned for his little sister as the rest were. Hitomi was doing everything she could, and Anil truly appreciated her help, but she was just not powerful enough. Under Katara's care, Ammy had been able to leave her bed and go on short walks every day. But now… she had not been able to leave her bed since Katara left.

Hitomi moved over to Ammy, took out some water, bended it onto her hands, and began to heal Ammy as much as she could. "I've heard stories about Avatar moods affecting Bending." Hitomi said. "It was in a book Katara gave me, _Legends of the Water Tribe_. After Avatar Kuruk lost his wife to the Great Spirit Koh, he sank into a deep depression that lasted so long that almost everyone, except the most powerful, had lost their ability to Bend. I've… noticed my Waterbending declining in power." She confessed.

"My Airbending too." Anil said.

"There has to be something we can do." Hitomi said. She trailed off thoughtfully as she finished healing Ammy.

"Oh!" Ammy gasped. "Maybe you can send out a call for help to Dad's friends."

"What?"

"You know… Aunt Toph, Uncle Duke, Uncle Zuko, the Order of the White Lotus…" Ammy said. "At the very least, they should know what's going on. You can't keep pretending that you're the Avatar forever, Anil."

"I know." Anil said, and then a thought occurred to him. "Hey! Maybe Aunt Toph _can _come! She could use her Earthbending to discover if Mitsuko is lying! Oh man! If we could prove her story a lie, that would help fix everything!"

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Go!" Hitomi urged.

Excited at the possibility that this entire nightmare could be over soon, Anil ran to his father's study and pulled out two separate pieces of parchment. To his uncle Zuko, he simply informed him about his father's depression, asked for him to take care of things in the Fire Nation for a while, and a plea for advice. Anil attached the note to a Dragon Hawk and sent it flying towards the Fire Nation.

The second note was written to his uncle Duke, who was sure to read the note to his wife, Toph. He explained to Toph about his father's depression, and sent a plea for her to come to the Southern Air Temple to detect if Mitsuko's story was a lie or not.

Once he finished writing the letter, he set off for the training ground, where he found his half-brother, Sora, practicing on his Airbending.

"Sora!" Anil called. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Sora replied. "Will it get me away from this gloomy place?"

"For a while." Anil said, handing Sora the letter. "Can you please find Aunt Toph and deliver this letter to her? If at all possible, convince her to come back with you."

Sora stared at the letter for a while and then tucked it into his robes. "I'll do it. Last I heard she was in Gaoling."

"Good. That's close." Anil said. "Sora… fly fast, please."

Sora nodded. "I will." And, with that, he headed down to the Bison stables to get ready for the flight.

Anil glanced up at the sealed windows that marked Aang's room, and sighed heavily. "Please, Aunt Toph… you have to come help us. Please." He turned and went back into the Temple. He had hundreds of more scrolls to answer in his father's name, and he knew he had to get started now.

* * *

**LES: Do you guys remember how I said that Azula's plan used to be different? And, boy, after seeing people's reaction to Azula's meddling in Aang and Katara's marriage, I have seen that it was a wise decision to change my original idea, for it was much more hard-core. I also promised that I would tell you guys what the original idea was when I revealed Azula's plan.**

**Instead of revealing what it is right now, I'll give you a little hint.**

**Azula's modified plan was to plant false memories in Aang and make him think that he had cheated on Katara. This is because a Soulbender is capable of making someone do or think whatever they want. Azula's modified plan focused on the 'thinking', her original plan was pretty much the same as the modified plan, since it involved a possible affair and an illegitimate child, but it focused on the 'doing' instead.**


	42. Toph to the Rescue

**LES: So… I took a day-long break from writing. But now it's back to business as usual. Now… to explain some more things that came up in reviews that do not involve saying "I can't believe Aang cheated on Katara!" (I'm really glad I got that straightened up before I lost all my readers, BTW.)**

**#1. "How could Aang and Katara go from making love to 'divorcing' so quickly?"**

**When I originally wrote this story, I never had any plans for Aang and Katara to 'divorce'. They were just going to separate. However, you'd be shocked at how quickly a marriage can fall apart, and the reasons for it to fall apart. My parent's marriage was destroyed because of a single lie that did not even involve cheating. And, when I say 'destroyed', I mean that my mother and I packed what we could in a two suitcases and left that very day. It was very much like how Katara left. So… believe me… speaking from personal recent experiences. It happens.**

**#2. "How can the child have gray eyes if it is not Aang's?"**

**In the 40****th**** chapter, I said that gray eyes are rare, not that Aang is the only one that has them. Even in the show, Aang is not the only one with gray eyes. Ty Lee also has gray eyes. I'm not saying the child is related to Ty Lee, I'm just pointing out that gray eyed people are rare, but they are out there. Keep in mind; it took Azula over a decade to find a gray-eyed child.**

**#3. "What about Mitsuko?"**

**She's as much a victim of Azula's meddling as Aang is. She was also Soulbent into believing that her child is Aang's. She honestly believes that she is telling the truth.**

**Any other questions? Please don't hesitate to ask. The little debacle with Chapter 40 taught me that one of my weaknesses in writing remains the idea that things that I think is obvious is not always obvious to the reader. So let me know when you are confused. If it does not spoil future story plots, I will do my best to explain it.**

**Anyway… on with the story!**

**Chapter XIIL: Toph To The Rescue

* * *

**

Several days passed before Sora returned to the Southern Air Temple with Toph and The Duke on his bison, and it only took that look for the situation to get much worse. A world that depended on its Benders for a variety of tasks was in disarray. It was a good thing that Masters were yet to be affected, but Anil had started getting reports of young, untrained children and children who had just started their training losing their Bending powers completely. Bending powers were slowly disappearing, starting with the weakest Benders first.

Not only that, but Anil was going more desperate about his father's situation. As far as he knew, Aang had not had anything to drink or eat since Katara left. If he kept refusing food for much longer, losing muscle mass would be the least of his problems. He could very realistically die.

So when Toph and The Duke arrived at the Southern Air Temple, Anil was so pleased that he pulled himself away from his father's work and ran down to meet them himself.

"Uncle Duke, Aunt Toph, thank the Spirits you're here!" Anil gasped with relief as he embraced them both.

"Okay, so spill the beans, Twinkletoes Jr." Toph said. She knew that it would hearten Anil to be called by his old nickname. "Sora gave us a run-down of what happened, but I want to hear it from you."

Anil sighed and told Toph everything, including his suspicions that there was something not right about the situation.

"You're right." Toph said. "Something about this stinks. I've known Aang since he was twelve years old, and he's never been one to keep secrets well. There's no way he would have been able to keep a secret of this caliber for so many years, especially from me."

"Besides, we all know how Aang feels about Katara." The Duke pointed out. "It's no secret that he's been in love with her practically the whole time he knew her."

"Exactly." Toph said, nodding.

Anil was heartened by the fact that Toph agreed with his assessment of the situation. He had a great deal of respect for his Aunt Toph, and it was nice to know that someone with more experience with matter of love then him also agreed that something was wrong with the whole situation. "I'm glad you feel that way, Aunt Toph."

"So, where is Twinkletoes anyway? Still locked up in his room?" Toph asked.

"Yes. He's blocked the door and windows with Earthbending." Anil said. "None of us could do anything about it because we've only got Airbenders and one Waterbender here."

"You couldn't use Airbending to slice through the rock?" The Duke asked. "I've seen Aang do that from time to time."

Anil shook his head. "I can slice through small rocks with my Airbending. But only Dad would be powerful enough to slice through a rock like that with Airbending. Hitomi, our Waterbender, tried to slice through the rock as well and failed. It's too hard, almost like diamond."

"Sounds like a challenge an Earthbender should do." Toph said. "All right, Twinkletoes Jr., I'll go up and knock some sense into your father."

"Please don't." Anil said. "We need to get to the truth of the situation."

"Don't worry. He'll recover." Toph said, walking up to the Temple.

Toph made her way up to Aang's room and she felt with her Earthbending vision Aang move in his room and quickly block the door with Earthbending to prevent her from entering. Toph sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Twinkletoes, we just want to talk to you!" She called, taking up a Bending stance and attempting to remove the blockage.

To Toph's amazement, the rock was actually much harder than what she was used to Bending, almost as hard as diamonds. Not only that, but it actively resisted all her attempts to Bend it. It took her a moment to realize that she was not fighting against the rock's hardness, but Aang's Earthbending power as he stopped her from Bending the rock.

"Aang! Stop being such a baby and let me in!" Toph yelled through the rock. "We're here to help you!" She did not get a single response. "Okay… fine… I'm going to get in there eventually, and the longer you make me wait, the less pleasant it's going to be, I can promise you that!" Toph said, leaving Aang to the darkness of the room and his mind.

* * *

The next day, Toph was once again on her way up to Aang's room, followed by her husband, when she came to a stop.

"What, Toph? What is it?" The Duke asked, looking around. A few moments later, he saw what Toph had seen with her Earthbending, and he instantly felt his heart drop, along with all chances of saving Aang's life. "Oh no."

"Understatement." Toph commented. They both saw Katara's brother stalking towards them, looking as pissed as a raging Saber-tooth Moose Lion.

"Do you think he's heard?" The Duke asked nervously as Sokka began to make a beeline towards them.

"Judging by the way his blood is practically boiling in anger… I'd guess that he's heard." Toph said, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Just… let me handle this."

"Be my guest." The Duke said, taking a step back and holding his hands up in surrender.

Sokka stormed up to them, glaring at Toph, breathing hard. "So…" Sokka began, crossing his arms over his chest. "I suppose you're here because you've heard?"

"Anil called us for help." Toph said simply. "So I'm here to help."

"Help?" Sokka demanded. "You're here to _help_ him! Do you even know what he _did_ to my sister?" Sokka demanded.

"That's what we're here to find out." Toph said.

"What's there to find out about?" Sokka demanded. "Katara wouldn't lie about something like this… leave the man she loves for no reason… And I suppose you're here, letting that cheating bastard cry on your shoulders?"

"Okay, first of all… you know I would never let anyone cry on my shoulders." Toph said. "Anyone who tried that would be socked in the stomach and you know it. Secondly, I haven't even had the chance to talk to Aang yet. He's locked up in his room."

"Because of shame, I bet." Sokka said. "He's locked himself up?"

"With Earthbending. Every time someone approaches." Toph said.

"Well, we'll see about that…" Sokka growled, stomping towards the Temple. It took a few seconds for Toph and The Duke to realize that there was murder in his steps, and they quickly rushed after Sokka.

Sokka took off at a run as soon as he entered the hallway that lead to Aang's room. As soon as he got close enough, Aang sensed his approach and began to raise the earthen barricade, but he was too late. Sokka jumped into the room just before the door was blocked. Strangely, once Sokka was in the room, he made no further attempt to get Sokka out. He froze where he was, on the bed, staring at the wall, lost in his own cloud of gloom.

"So… you have nothing to say?" Sokka asked. He vaguely heard Toph and The Duke outside the room, trying to get through the block. Apparently, Aang was still holding it there. Aang did not respond to his question in the slightest.

"Explain to me why you did it." Sokka said. "If it doesn't involve the word 'love', I might not kill you." Aang did not reply. Sokka lost his all ready fragile temper, grabbed Aang by the front of his shirt, and punched his face hard. Aang did not even react to the blow. "Don't think being the Avatar will stop me from killing you." Sokka growled in Aang's face. "People have assassinated the Avatar for less, you know."

Aang did not respond or acknowledge his presence at all.

Sokka lost the very last shred of his patience and began to hit the Avatar again, over and over, every bit of him that he could reach. He screamed "Tell me why!" with every blow, but Aang still did not respond, only taking Sokka's beating quietly, without a hint of pain ever passing his lips, even as blood began to flow from his battered body.

Only one good thing came of it: Sokka punched the Avatar in the Temple, and finally knocked him into unconsciousness. With the Avatar no longer conscious, Toph was able to break through the earth blocking the doorway and bending it back easily. She and The Duke stared in shock at Sokka, who was still hitting the unconscious Avatar with everything he had.

"Sokka!" Toph yelled, jumping forward and getting her arms under his arms, holding him back from Aang and pulling him away from the Avatar. As Toph struggled to control Sokka, she yelled over her shoulder towards her husband. "Hurry! Go and get Hitomi!" The Duke nodded and ran out of the room, leaving Toph to control the raging Water Tribe man.

She was eventually able to fling him into a wall and Bend the stone around him, holding him in place and he continued to growl like a wild animal. He was an animal with a single intent… to get to Aang and cause him as much pain as possible.

"This isn't helping, Sokka!" Toph yelled at the straining man as she rushed over to assess Aang's injuries. He was a right mess, broken bones, ruptured organs, and internal bleeding. Without a Waterbender, the injuries would have certainly been fatal.

"Sokka was actually trying to kill you, Twinkletoes." Toph said. "Katara's probably really messed up and misses you as much as you miss her."

It took only a few minutes for The Duke to return with Hitomi and about a half an hour for Hitomi to heal Aang's physical injuries. He regained consciousness as Hitomi was healing a rib that had broken and punctured his lung. For the first time, he seemed to acknowledge the presence of the other people in the room. He glanced at them in turn, and then laid his head back down. "Leave me alone." He croaked with a voice that had not been used in days.

"If we leave you alone, you're going to die, Twinkletoes." Toph said.

"Fine. So be it. I'm tired of this life." Aang said. "Without Katara, my life is not worth living."

"And your children?" The Duke asked.

"Anil."

"Anil has been doing an admirable job of taking care of your Avatar duties, running the Temple, and training his siblings." Toph said. "But he can't be a father to his siblings. You know this."

"I don't care anymore. Leave me alone to die." Aang said, rolling over.

"I swear, Twinkletoes… you're about to make me hit you. And I swear on the Spirits it won't be like the little love-taps you received from Snoozles." Toph said. "He couldn't make you cry out in pain. I can, and I will. Why don't you start by telling me what happened."

"What's the point? I betrayed the woman I love. I am not worthy of her love, my children, or even being the Avatar."

"What happened?" Toph asked firmly. "Tell me now, or I'll knock you straight to the Spirit World."

Aang sighed. "The first time I set eyes on Mitsuko and her child, I remembered… the memories… they came out of nowhere. I had forced myself to forget because of the pain. I remembered having an affair with her. I remembered conceiving a child with her. I remember hiding my infidelity from Katara. Oh Spirits, what have I done?" Aang moaned loudly. "The child even had my eyes! My gray eyes!"

In the time it took for Aang to be healed and start talking, Sokka had managed to calm down some, since he had nothing better to do while sealed to the wall. Just like Anil and Toph, he realized the impossibility of Aang's story. How could you just make yourself completely forget something like that? There were many things in Sokka's lifetime that he would give anything in the world to forget… but those shameful hurtful memories were the ones that stuck around the hardest. You could put them out of your mind for a while, but never would they be forgotten.

As Aang finished his story, The Duke turned to Toph. "Well?" He asked. "Was he lying?"

"I… I don't know. I'm getting a lot of mixed signals." Toph said. "Let me try…" She moved closer to Aang, and placed her hand on his chest, right above his heart. "Okay, Twinkletoes… tell me again: 'I cheated on Katara'."

Aang stared down at her hand in shame. "I cheated on Katara." He repeated.

For several moments, Toph studied his body's reactions to the statement, and then after a while, she pulled away. "Great Spirits, Twinkletoes… all this trouble over a lie?"

That caught the attention of everyone in the room, including Aang. "A lie?" They all repeated.

"Yep. A complete and utter lie. Whatever else is going on here, Aang has never, once, cheated on Katara." Toph said.

"But… these memories… they are so real…" Aang said.

"Yeah, I was getting lots of mixed signals from your body. I do have a theory." Toph said. "It's possible that your mind thought you had cheated on Katara, but your heart knew that you hadn't. Congratulations, Twinkletoes, you're a faithful husband after all."

"Wait… get me down!" Sokka said. "I promise that I'm calmed down now." Toph hesitated before releasing Sokka from his prison. "There's still something I don't get."

"Obviously." Toph said. "How the memories got there in the first place. I doubt Aang would sit around, imagining what it would be like to cheat on Katara."

"Never!" Aang protested.

"It kind of reminds me of the Dai Le brainwashing… except it wasn't done as well." Toph said. She placed her hand on Aang's chest again. "Were you ever captured by the Dai Le?"

"No." Aang said.

"It's the truth." Toph said, and the group continued to ponder what could have happened. Nothing came up.

"Okay… is there _any_ ability in the world that would allow someone to screw with someone else's mind?" Sokka asked in exasperation.

"Soulbending." Aang answered automatically. "I could mess with someone else's memories if I focused on just the mind instead of the soul."

"Yeah, but you would still never do something like that to yourself." Sokka said, rolling his eyes.

Toph pressed her hand to Aang's chest again. "Have you ever encountered someone else who could Soulbend?" She asked.

"No, what are you talking about? I'm the only Soulbender in the world." Aang said.

"That's another lie, Twinkletoes." Toph said.

Everyone fell silent as the full implications of what Toph was saying hit them. There was another Soulbender out there who had purposefully messed with Aang's memories for the sole purpose of destroying his marriage with Katara.

"So… what went wrong?" Sokka asked. "You'd think that Soulbending would be able to brainwash someone stronger than the Dai Le's brainwashing."

"The Soulbender obviously screwed up somewhere." Toph said. "That's the only explanation."

"It's because I still knew…" Aang said, gasping with amazement. "They could change my memories, but they did not change my soul. My soul was incapable of loving any but Katara, so even though my mind was fooled, my soul was not." He buried his face in his hands and began to cry with happiness. "Katara… Katara… I remain faithful to you."

* * *

**LES: If you don't believe about the Soulbender screwing up, go back and read that chapter. I put the loop-hole in that chapter. Azula told him to focus on just his mind and not his soul. This lead to an incomplete brainwashing. It really is unfortunate for Azula that her Soulbender could not think for himself, or he probably would have fixed this oversight. Even when the memories first came, Aang knew that something was wrong about them.**

**So… the bulk of Aang's depression is over! Thank God! Now time for Plan B!**


	43. Bid for Power

**LES: Any more questions? … Good! On with the story!**

**Chapter XIIIL: Bid For Power

* * *

**

While Aang, Toph, The Duke, and Hitomi were in Aang's room, working out what had happened with Aang; trouble was brewing at the other end of the Temple.

Unlike Aang's other children, Sho took a more practical view of Aang's depression. It was just the sort of break he had been waiting for; there was no official head of the Air Nomad nation, and it was just the right time for him to make his move on his older half-brother. What was even better: Anil had been so busy doing his father's job and training his younger siblings that he didn't have time to practice his own high-level Airbending. Sho, on the other hand, had been living and breathing his Airbending practice. He was ready.

But, before he faced off with Anil in a duel, he had to be sure of something else. With this thought in mind, he made his way to a room that he had been spending an unusual amount of time: his sister's room.

Sho stepped into the room quietly, pleased when he saw that Ammy was the only one there. Besides himself, Anil had been spending a lot of time here. But he was just using Ammy for her ability to go to the Spirit World. He didn't seem to care that she was getting worse.

Ammy glanced over at him. "Sho."

"How do you feel?" Sho asked, concerned. He moved over to the bed and sat down, taking her limp hand in his.

"Weaker… as to be expected." Ammy said.

"I should have been there." Sho said, referring to Katara's departure. He had been busy training and had missed the whole argument. "I could have at least convinced her to take you along."

"Even if you did, I would refuse to go." Ammy said. "I would not be any help for Katara, and I'm needed here: both for Dad's and Anil's sake."

"Do you… think that Dad really had an affair?" Sho asked curiously.

"No, I don't." Ammy said. "I've sensed all the discord in our family for years, both large and small. Never did I get the impression of Dad falling out of love with Mom. Love has never been their problem. Even now, there is love between them… but no trust."

Sho took several deep breaths. "Yes, love is quite a strange thing, isn't it?"

"Indeed, it is." Ammy agreed.

"Ammy… you know that I really care about you, right?" Sho asked, and she nodded. "There is only one thing in this world that I want, and it's for you to be safe… always."

"I appreciate your concern, Sho." Ammy said softly.

Sho took a deep breath and continued. "You are the only real friend I've ever had." He said. "Ammy, you _know_ that we are not truly appreciated here. Those of us with Airbending abilities are to become… Air Nomad breeding machines. No one has said anything yet, but I know it's going to happen soon. I wouldn't be shocked if they were all ready trying to force Anil into following Dad's footsteps and continuing the plan. And you… you are perceived as a worthless cast-off who should have died in infancy. A wasted opportunity."

"I am aware…" Ammy said slowly, unable to get rid of her feelings of déjà vu at Sho's words. She knew that she had heard them before, but she could not remember where. "That is what the world thinks… not our father."

Sho's eyes narrowed. He could not do anything until he was assured of Ammy's support. "Come with me, Ammy." Before Sho could say anything else, another voice interrupted.

"You know she cannot."

Sho and Ammy looked around and saw Anil standing in the doorway.

"Don't try to stop me." Sho said, glaring at Anil.

"Do you realize what you are doing? Father's all ready on the brink as it is. If he loses you…"

"Shut up!" Sho yelled, standing up and facing Anil. "What would _you_, the _favorite_, know about _anything_?"

Ammy felt several strong emotions overwhelm her. She suddenly remembered why she was feeling that she had seen this before. She had a vision about this event years ago! It wasn't exactly the same, but there was no mistaking this. She had once seen her brothers fighting over her, and now she knew who they were: the two boys that she cared about most in the world: Anil and Sho. "Don't fight." She pleaded as Sho dropped into a threatening Martial Arts stance. Anil also sank into an Airbending stance, ready for anything that Sho would throw at him. "Stop it!" Ammy screamed.

The two boys ignored Ammy's pleading. "What is your meaning by this?" Anil asked. "Do you really intend to fight me?"

"What's the matter? Are you shocked that not all your siblings worship the ground you walk upon?" Sho asked, adjusting his position slightly and moving away from the bed-ridden Ammy. Above his desire to defeat Anil, the desire to protect Ammy was stronger. He would allow no harm to come to her, accidental or otherwise. His first order of business was to get out of this room. "Big brother Anil… Dad's favorite… Airbending prodigy… on the fast-track to becoming the new leader of the Air Nomads…"

Anil blinked in shock. "How do you know about that?"

"Oh, don't play dumb!" Sho shouted. "Where is my reward? You've never had to work hard for anything a single day in your life! I had to struggle and put my blood and sweat into my Airbending training! But all _my_ work was for nothing!"

Anil glared at him. "If you want to become the next leader of the Air Nomads, just come out and say it."

Sho roared in anger, sending a strong blast of air at Anil, which propelled the boy out of the room. Sho followed him out into the hallway, maneuvering him down the hall. "I've got something better in mind… I'm going to prove my power at Airbending by defeating you in a duel."

"You don't stand a chance against me." Anil said.

"That's where you and I disagree, _brother._" Sho said, leaping at Anil and driving him further back.

Anil didn't not out-right attack his brother, but allowed himself to be driven further back. In the back of his mind, Anil knew that Sho was just trying to drive him outside. Airbenders do not operate at their fullest potential in cramped spaces like this hallway. Sho was trying to maneuver them outside where they would have more space to work with.

_He forgets… I'll be more powerful when I'm outside as well._ Anil thought to himself. "So, you want to get outside, huh?" He yelled at Sho. "Fine, follow me!" Anil turned and ran, leaping out of the nearest window. Outside that window, there were only sharp cliffs, but Anil leapt from cliff to cliff with grace and efficiency. He had run along these cliffs many times before, and choosing the correct path was as natural to him as breathing. Sho was also familiar with the path and was able to follow Anil easily as he led them down to the Airbending training area.

When he got there, he was dismayed to see that some of his siblings were there, practicing. He landed lightly in the middle of the training area, and yelled for them. "Get away from here!" His siblings froze in shock as Sho landed, and then kicked at Anil, sending a great blast of air his way. Anil barely had time to redirect the blast of wind and send it harmlessly away from him and his siblings.

"Get back!" Anil yelled, whirling his arms and sending a great blast of air in every direction, which forced his siblings to move back. However, in the moment that Anil took to get his younger siblings safely out of the way, Sho took the opportunity to attack him. A blast of compressed air punched him in the chest, knocking the air out of him and knocking him to the ground, hard.

Sho leapt closer, standing over his downed brother. "Give up, Anil. Acknowledge me as the stronger Bender."

Anil gasped for air. "You have a lot to learn, Sho. It takes more than Bending to be a great leader!" In the blink of an eye, Anil scissor'ed his legs to the side, knocking Sho's legs out from under him. Sho was unprepared for it, for it was not a move that incorporated any Bending at all.

Anil silently thanked his uncle for teaching him some non-Bending fighting techniques as he used his Airbending to push himself off the ground. Unfortunately, Sho was able to recover just about as quickly and he wasted no time in attacked Anil again.

For several minutes, Anil focused mainly on deflecting Sho's attacks away from himself and his siblings that had surrounded the training field, but he came to realize that this was not going to work for long. Sho was relentless in attacking him. Airbending was not about relentless attacks, so it threw Anil off a little bit. He could only guess that there was a little bit of the Firebender attitude in there somewhere. He knew that if he continued to just play defense, he would end up losing.

This current strategy would continue without change until one of them got tired, and Anil knew that he was not in top shape. He had not slept well since his father's depression began; staying up until dawn some nights in order to get all his father's work done. He was all ready beginning to get tired, but Sho's attacks were just intensifying as they continued.

Anil knew that he had no choice; he would have to attack back soon.

"Stop this foolishness now!" Anil yelled, hoping against hope that there was still a chance that he could talk sense to his brother.

"Stop playing around with me!" Sho demanded.

"Okay… fine!" Anil growled, launching into his own, much more powerful attack pattern. But Sho proved himself able to defend as well as attack. Anil's attack did nothing more than drive him back a few steps.

A new thought occurred to Anil. He could end this fight instantly if he could just use the Final Airbending move. There was no faster way to disable an Airbender than by taking the air away from them. But Anil hesitated in performing the move. He had never performed the move on another living being, only on candles, and he was terrifying that if he messed the move up just slightly, it would lead to his brother's death.

It only took Anil a few moments to realize that he could not perform the Final Airbending move. It was dangerous… deadly. It was like his mother's ability to perform Bloodbending. Just because the power exists doesn't mean it should be used in situations like this, especially by someone who had never used it on someone else before.

For the first time, Anil began to realize that he could lose this fight. All he could see was his father's disappointed face. Eleven years of training, being praised as an Airbending prodigy… all for naught because he was tired when he was drawn into a duel with his younger brother.

In desperation, Anil cried out: "Father!"

* * *

Back up in Aang's room, Aang was preparing himself for some pretty unusual Soulbending.

The other's stared in shock as Aang placed his right hand on his own forehead, and his left hand on his own heart. "So… is it possible to Soulbend yourself?" Sokka asked.

"It's possible, just really risky." Aang said. "But what I'm going to do is relatively easy. I'm just going to remove the false memories from my mind. It's straightforward." Aang took a deep breath and there was a flash of blue light. Since there was no need for Aang to overcome himself, there was no battle, and the Bending happened instantly. The fake memories were cut from Aang's mind with supreme ease.

The blue light faded, leaving Aang smiling, his mind finally freed of the memories that had tormented him.

"Now you just need to find a way to restore the true memories of what happened." Toph said. "You know… so we can know what the Soulbender looks like or what we're up against."

Aang sighed. "I'm afraid that's not as straight forward. The only way I could possibly recover memories that have all ready been lost is for me to know exactly where they were 'scooped out'. There's no way for me to know if I'm missing memories."

"That is a pickle." Toph commented.

"Wait a second…" Sokka said thoughtfully. "How about our last reunion?" Everyone stared at him. "No, really! Remember how Aang came back from wherever he went and said he had only been gone for a few minutes even though over fifteen minutes had passed! Maybe it seemed like less time had passed because those memories had been scooped out of him!" Sokka said proudly.

Aang smiled. "Sokka! You're a genius!" He began to put his hands in the proper place for another attempt at Soulbending himself when he was interrupted by a large shock wave surging through the Temple.

"Whoa. Did you feel that?" Toph asked.

"I did." Aang commented. "But what was it? I can't use Earthbending to see that far away."

Toph studied the vibrations for a while. "Well… there's either two Airbenders having a training duel down on the training ground…"

"Airbenders don't duel during their training." Aang commented.

"Well, then… there's two Airbenders fighting down on the training ground… pretty seriously too." Toph said, shrugging.

It only took Aang a few seconds to put two and two together. "Oh no…" He gasped, finally pushing himself out of bed, staggering for a moment, and then heading out the door and rushing down to the training area as fast as he could go on his weakened legs.

Only one thought made its way through Aang's mind as he rushed through the Temple. _This can't be happening… this can't be happening…_

There was a reason that Airbenders almost never dueled, especially two Master Airbenders. Any time you had two Masters fighting, the odds of both getting seriously injured increased exponentially. You could not hold back when fighting against a Master, and if you were a Master yourself, you had the power to inflict incredible damage, even by accident.

Even if they were not aiming to kill each other, there was only a small chance they would both get out of the fight all right. He could very well end up losing both Anil and Sho today.

Fueled by this thought, Aang used Airbending to pick up his speed.

* * *

Anil was doing everything he could to both subdue his younger brother, protect his siblings, and make sure that he was not overwhelmed. But, despite his best efforts, he was getting overwhelmed. It would only be a few seconds before he was forced to stop being concerned for his siblings and just focus on his own safety.

He did not notice his father running up behind him.

Aang took in the situation in an instant. Anil and Sho were fighting, just as he expected. Sho was slowly, but surely, getting the upper hand on his brother. Aang also saw that, although Anil was being forced to attack for his own safety, Sho was the aggressive one in this fight.

Aang made a split second decision to save his son's lives, and he raised his arms. "Anil! Hold your breath!" He yelled.

Anil heard his father's yell and instantly obeyed, taking a great gulp of air and holding it protectively in his lungs. Anil knew what was coming even though he had never personally experienced it… the Final Airbending move.

However, Sho had no idea of the move's existence and was unable to prepare himself for it. "What are you…?"

Sho's question stopped dead in his lungs as he no longer had any air with which to voice his question. The sensation was several, terrifying sensations all at once: suffocation and the completely loss of his Bending skills. The loss of Air was so terrifying to the young Airbender that he gasped, losing what little air he had left in his lungs, and passing out when he found there was no air to refill his lungs. 


	44. Reconciliation Part 1

**Chapter XIVL: Reconciliation Pt. 1

* * *

**

It took quite a while for Sho to wake up after Aang disabled him, and the first thing on his mind was that he was glad to be able to feel air in his lungs once again and the flow of air around his body.

He groaned slowly and opened his eyes, but instantly closed them again. He had found himself looking into the disappointed eyes of his father. For a long while, no one said anything, and Sho chanced another look at his father, only to see that there was sorrow in his eyes now.

"Why did you do this?" Aang asked softly.

Sho flinched. There was no anger in Aang's voice, but sorrow and disappointment. The disappointment was the worst, however. It made Sho want to curl up into a little ball and never see the light of sun again. "I… felt I had no choice."

"You always have a choice." Aang said.

"I… I was jealous." Sho admitted.

"Of Anil?"

"Yes." Sho said. "He never had to work as hard as I did at Airbending. I'm the harder worker. I have spent the last few weeks Mastering Airbending by myself. But…" He remembered the strange move that Aang had performed on him. "I guess I still have a lot to learn, huh?"

"You're lucky you didn't force Anil to do that to you." Aang said. "Even with my experience, you still almost died."

"You mean… Anil knows how to do that crazy airless move?" Sho demanded. "Then he…" He paused, realization coming over him. "He could have defeated me any time he wanted to!"

"That's true." Aang said. "But doing so could have resulted in your death. But I know Anil. He would not have been able to live with himself if he had caused someone else's death… even accidentally. I also know that you would not have been able to forgive yourself if you'd killed your own brother. So… why did you duel him?"

"I don't understand. I was never trying to kill him." Sho began.

"When two Masters fight, there is always an increased risk that one or both of the combatants will die." Aang said. "You could have killed each other."

Sho hung his head. "I didn't…" He paused. "I was just jealous of your favoring Anil… and I also wanted to become the Air Nomad leader so I could…" Sho paused shamefully. "I wanted to create a world where I would be free to love the woman that I love."

"Love? You're in love with someone?" Aang asked, sounding shocked. "Is she someone I know?" Sho did not reply to Aang's question, nor would he meet his eyes. "It's still a secret love?" Aang asked.

"You could say that." Sho said slowly.

"Very well, I'll ask no more of it." Aang said, sensing the Sho was a little sensitive about his feelings. "Now, Sho, there are some things that I wanted to tell you when we got in our last… argument, but it didn't come out right. So I'm going to try to do this again… calmly."

Aang sighed. "I know that it certainly seems like I'm favoring Anil, but that is not the case. Anil is the eldest, he's an Airbending prodigy, which meant that he was able to Master Airbending extremely quickly which gave him a lot of time to learn the other subjects that he would need to know as the leader of the Air Nomads. These are the things that he's been studying with me for the past four years, and in many ways he is still learning and struggling."

"He's struggling?"

"Yes. Just because he's an Airbending prodigy doesn't mean that he's good at everything. He's struggled, just the same as everyone else." Aang said. "When it came time for me to pick the next leader several years ago, I did not make the decision alone. I took a trip to the Spirit World and spent a week talking to my past lives. They all agreed: Anil would be the best. And they do not have as much affection for my children as I do. But there is one other thing…" Aang met his eyes. "Tenzin was never in the running to be the leader of the Air Nomads. He's not good enough at Airbending and he's a little too rebellious. The person who was going to be the heir after Anil was always going to be you."

Sho did not say anything for very long, and then he glanced up at his father. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Aang said. "You are the second best Airbender and you are a very hard worker. Even if you don't get something right away, you are willing to try again and again until you get it. That sort of quality is very good in a leader."

"Dad… I…" Sho began, but he was shocked into silence when Aang pulled him into a strong embrace.

"Sho… you are all my flesh and blood, no matter who gave birth to you. That's all that matters to me." Aang said. "All I want is for you to be happy, and that includes being happy in love."

Sho embraced his father. "Thank you, Dad." As they embraced, he remembered what Ammy had told him, to tell his father _everything_. "There's something else I have to confess."

"What is it?"

"I never would have attacked Anil like that." Sho said. "But I ran into someone who told me that it was my best chance to become the new Air Nomad leader. She goaded me into action."

"Who was this?" Aang asked.

"I… don't know. She never gave me her name." Sho said. "But we met while I was in the Fire Nation and she said she was my second cousin, but she insisted that I call her 'Aunt'."

"A second cousin would be your mother's cousin… and you say that this person was a woman?" Aang asked, a horrible thought occurring to him.

"Yes." Sho answered.

"Oh Spirits… no… it couldn't be Azula…" Aang gasped, feeling truly afraid for the first time.

"Azula… who is Azula?" Sho asked.

"She's Zuko's sister." Aang said. "So she certainly would be your second cousin. But she's… Oh Spirits…"

"Dad? What's wrong?" Sho asked. "What's so bad about this woman?"

"But it can't be her… she's been locked up for years…"

"Dad!"

Aang finally answered Sho's question. "Azula is the only person in the world who scares me." He said.

"But… you're not scared of anyone!" Sho said.

"That's not true." Aang said. "Azula terrifies me. In the entire history of the Avatar, no one has ever come close to destroying the reincarnation cycle for good by killing the Avatar while he's in the Avatar State… except for one person… Azula."

"She… almost killed you?" Sho asked, amazed.

"She _did_ kill me. Katara was able to bring me back, but I almost lost the Avatar State for good that day. I still have the scar to prove it." Aang said, gesturing to his back.

Sho's face went blank. He knew about his father's scar, but he had never wondered where it had come from. "Oh Spirits… I can't believe I took the advice of a woman who almost murdered my father…"

"No. This is my fault." Aang said, rubbing his temples. "I was so scared of her that I never thought to warn any of you. Besides, she's been locked up, under constant surveillance for years. I… I need more proof."

With that, Aang pressed his hands to himself to complete the act of Soulbending that his son's fight had interrupted. There was a bright flash of blue light and Sho cried out in shock.

Inside his own mind, Aang carefully searched his memories from their last reunion. He followed his memories of leaving the party after Toshi and then, suddenly, he was heading back inside. He backed up slightly, and encountered an oddity. There was a slight flaw to his memories, like a mental fold. Aang concentrated on that fold and pulled it out straight.

Memories instantly rushed into his mind. He remembered his encounter with Azula in the woods, and he remembered the Soulbender and he remembered… he got sick just thinking about it… what the Soulbender had _done_ to himself. He had removed his emotions and memories, thus making it impossible for him to be overcome with Soulbending, but at the same time, he had taken away everything that made him human! He could not think or feel emotions… only exist as a puppet for others to manipulate.

Aang gasped as the memories released him. "I need more proof…" Aang gasped, rushing out of the room.

* * *

Aang found himself rushing to the Temple's guest rooms, where Anil was sure to have placed Mitsuko. He found her quickly with his Earthbending vision, and rushed into the room. She looked up as he entered, and her eyes lit up. "Oh… Aang… I'm so glad to see you're…" She got up to embrace him.

Aang quickly stopped her, holding her by her shoulders. "Please, Mitsuko, listen to me. If you love me, answer my question."

"Anything." Mitsuko promised.

"Has there been any time recently when it seemed to you that more time has passed then it felt like? Have you had a moment when you've only believed a few moments had passed when others told you it was much longer?"

Mitsuko stared at him, confused. "Yes, just before I left to come here."

"Thank you, Mitsuko. I need you to do one more thing for me… Hold still and don't fight against me." Aang said, placing his hands on her forehead and heart. Within seconds, he was inside her mind.

There was a slight resistance on Mitsuko's part, but that quickly stopped. Aang shifted back through her memories, feeling a pang as he watched the horrors she had gone through to get to the Southern Air Temple. Eventually, he found the mental fold. He made a note of it and traveled back further, first removing her similar fake memories of the time she spent with him, and then going back to the fold. He pulled it out, and both he and Mitsuko were able to witness the memories that had been hidden away.

He saw the love she had for her husband, a Fire Nation man that also had gray eyes. They had a small son together, and they loved him and each other unconditionally. Their love reminded Aang of his love for Katara, and he felt a pang in his heart as he thought of her.

The memories turned bad when Azula arrived at their house late one night. She took the entire family hostage and confirmed that the young child had gray eyes. With a single heartless order, Azula had Mitsuko's husband killed right before her eyes. Mitsuko had been in too much pain at losing her beloved to fight against the Soulbender as he rearranged her memories to suit their needs. Mitsuko had no more memory of the man she loved, and had been forced to transfer those feelings to a man that she had never met before… Avatar Aang.

Aang gasped as he pulled away from her, almost crying with shared pain. Her memories returned, Mitsuko let out a heart-rending cry and collapsed on the ground, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, and mourning bitterly for her dead husband.

Aang knelt down next to her and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

She clutched onto him as she wept, but it was not like before. She no longer had any feelings of love for him. She simply held onto him because he was there, willing to offer what comfort he could.

There was one thing that Aang knew for sure. She really could not go back to her former life. She had no family left to take care of her and her son. He had no affection for the child or her, but he could not abandon her or an innocent child to death.

"I'll make sure that you are taken care of." Aang promised, holding her.

* * *

He eventually left Mitsuko to grieve at her own pace and rushed back up to his office. He sat down at the desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, writing a hasty note to Firelord Zuko.

_Zuko,_

_I know that this is going to sound impossible, but I have come across some evidence that Azula might have escaped her prison. It's possible that she left a decoy in her place._

_Please investigate this matter. _

_Also, I have in my care a widowed Fire Nation woman and her child. She has no family to take care of her, and I would appreciate it greatly if you would afford her a place in the royal household._

_Write back to me at Kyoshi Island as soon as you can._

_~Aang_

Aang quickly sent the message to the Fire Nation with the fastest Messenger Hawk that he owned, and rushed out to find Toph, The Duke, and Sokka.

He found them gathered down at the training area, along with most of his children, minus Ammy and Sho.

"Anil, I'm leaving. You're in charge of the Southern Air Temple while I'm gone." Aang said.

"Yes, father." Anil said instantly.

"Sho is not to be punished." Aang said. "He knows that he made a mistake, and he has given me the evidence I need to know who's behind this. Also, treat Mitsuko with kindness. She has suffered greatly and is very distraught."

"Yes, father."

"Sokka, Toph, The Duke…" Aang glanced at the others. "Come with me to Kyoshi Island."

Everyone smiled. "Good to have you back, Aang." Sokka said.

"Yes." Toph said, punching Aang's arm. "Let's go get your woman back." Aang smiled.

Aang barely gave them the time to get on Appa's back before he was taking to the air and making his way to Kyoshi Island, urging Appa to go as fast as he could. Aang couldn't help it. He was going to go tell Katara the truth and beg for her to take him back. No matter how long it took, he would not rest until Katara was in his arms once again.

* * *

Back at the Air Temple, Anil made his way up to his brother's room, where he was still recovering from having the Final Airbending move used on him. Anil had to admit that he was shaken up too. He had been holding his breath when his father used it, but the loss of his Bending powers had been more of a shock then he thought it would be.

He slowly walked into the room, and Sho looked up at him, shame in his eyes. He couldn't meet Anil's gaze for more than a few moments before he dropped his eyes. "I'm sorry." Sho said.

"Dad's gone to Kyoshi Island to get mom back." Anil said. "He left me in charge."

Sho took a deep breath. "Well, you are the one most suited for the job."

"We need to talk." Anil said. "Do you think I would be a different person if our positions were switched? If Dad were married to Lady Nera, and my mother were just a woman part of the Plan… and I was raised by Lady Nera rather than my mother?"

"Probably." Sho said.

"Why? Aang would still be my father and Katara would still be my mother." Anil said.

"Because you would be raised by a different woman." Sho said.

"Exactly. I'm not saying that Lady Nera isn't a fine woman or a fine mother, but Katara is the one who has raised you. For a long time, you thought of Katara as your mother because you knew of no other. She's the one who raised you, feed you and clothed you, stayed with you and healed you when you were sick. She gave you nothing more or less than what she has given me, or my full-siblings. You just came into our family differently, that is all. Parents are not the people who give birth to us… but the people who raise us… love us… teach us right from wrong… and eventually give us the freedom to run our own lives."

"I'm sorry, Anil. I don't know what I was thinking. And I never meant to insult Katara's abilities as a mother."

"You weren't thinking." Anil said. "But Dad forgives you, and so do I… as long as we can understand that I'm going to keep a very close eye on you. And I think we're gonna hold off on getting you your tattoos, at least for a while. So… why don't you tell me why you did what you did?"

Sho sighed and gave Anil the same reasons that he gave to Aang, including the hint of his love.

"You did this for love?" Anil said. "Well, then I guess I can really forgive you. So… who is the lucky woman?"

"I can't…" Sho said. "I love her with all my heart, but our love can never be. It's forbidden."

"Forbidden? How can you think that something as pure and honest as love be forbidden?" Anil asked. "You should never be ashamed of your feelings, Sho."

"You don't understand… no one would accept us…" Sho began.

"What? Is she from another culture? You should know that our family would be the last person to object to two people from different cultures falling in love." Anil asked.

"It's more serious than that!" Sho said. "There can be no love between…" Sho paused.

"Between…" Anil said leadingly.

Sho sighed. "Swear that you won't tell anyone… not even _her_!" He said.

"I swear, I won't breathe a word." Anil said.

"There can be no love between… two siblings." Sho finally confessed. Anil stared at him in shock. "The woman that I've fallen in love with… is Ammy." Sho gazed into the shocked look on Anil's face, and felt sick with shame.

"I… I'm shocked." Anil said.

"That's an understatement, isn't it?"

"Maybe a little." Anil said. "You know that there's certain… complications with this love? You'd never be able to legally marry… nor would she be able to lay with you as a wife or give you children. Pregnancy would surely kill her."

"I know. I know!" Sho said, pain in his voice. "But it doesn't matter to me. I still… feel this way about her. I wanted to become the Air Nomad Leader because then I could create a world where we could be together without fear of judgment." As sick as it made him, he repeated the words that Azula used on him. "No one could tell a leader of a nation who he can and cannot marry, no matter how forbidden it is."

Anil rubbed his temples. "I fear there is just pain down that path."

"My heart is set."

Anil sighed. "You know that I just want you to be happy. If these feelings make you happy, then I won't judge you for them. And I won't say anything, I promise."

* * *

**LES: This chapter was much longer than I anticipated. This is mainly because I did not include the whole Mitsuko part in the original outline. Oh well. Works out great for you guys, right?**


	45. Reconciliation Part 2

**LES: This chapter marks a great milestone for me. Before this story, the two longest stories I had were both 45 chapters long, and now I have matched that record… and there is still plenty more left! Woot! And maybe you guys noticed that I screwed up the Roman numerals last time… that's because I almost never have stories this long. XD**

**Chapter XLV: Reconciliation Pt. 2**

* * *

On the way to Kyoshi Island, Aang filled in the others about what he had discovered thanks to Sho, his memories, and Mitsuko's memories. The Duke was the only one who did not have first-hand understanding of just how dangerous Azula was, or how far she would be willing to go to destroy her enemies.

"If you think about it, her plan was pretty good." Sokka commented, ignoring how the others glared at him. "Aang, you were a wreak when I saw you. You didn't even stop me from almost killing you. If Azula had come after you when you were all depressed, you probably would have begged her to kill you."

"That's probably true." Aang grudgingly admitted. "Her plan was in two parts, first drive me and Katara apart, and then drive me and my children apart using Sho as a puppet. But we also have to consider the fact that I'm not her only target."

Toph nodded thoughtfully. "Katara."

"Katara is the one who defeated Azula all those years ago. I doubt that Azula would have forgotten that." Aang said. "She drove Katara away from me, and away from the protection that I could have offered her. She's probably go after Katara first, and then come attack me at her leisure, since I'm still supposed to be depressed."

"Well, then, Azula's going to be in for quite a nasty surprise when she finds out that you're not wallowing in self-pity." Sokka said with a laugh.

* * *

They reached Kyoshi Island several days later. Aang probably would have forced Appa to fly non-stop until they got there, but the others forced him to stop and make camp, convincing him that Katara was not going to be going anywhere.

They finally did arrive late afternoon; Aang couldn't even wait for Appa to land properly. He jumped off the Bison's back as soon as they approached the village.

"Um… Aang, maybe you should wait for…" Sokka began, but Aang had all ready taken off. "… me and Toph to talk to her first…" He trailed off when he noticed that Aang was all ready long-gone. Appa landed and Toph and Sokka quickly ran after Aang as fast as they could, The Duke following closely behind.

Aang spotted Katara in Kyoshi's marketplace, and in his excitement, he ran over to her, yelling: "Katara! Katara!"

The Waterbender looked around, rage on her face. "How dare you! How dare you come after me after what you did?" She yelled, drawing the attention of the townspeople.

"Katara, I didn't…" Aang began, his enthusiasm hardly dampened by his less-than-positive reception.

"No! I don't want to hear your excuses! Why don't you just leave me alone so I can live out the remainder of my life in peace?"

"Katara…" Aang began to step closer, but was stopped when an earthen wall sprang up in front of him, between himself and Katara.

"Whoa there, Twinkletoes. Why don't you let me handle this right now?" Toph said, walking up behind him.

"I… Okay." Aang said reluctantly

Katara glared at Toph as she walked out from behind the earth wall, leaving Aang waiting quietly on the other side. "Are you here to tell me that I should go back to him?" Katara asked coldly.

"You read my mind, Sugar Queen." Toph said.

"Do you even know what he _did_ to me?" Katara asked.

"I know what he _didn't_ do to you." Toph said. "I got to the bottom of this whole thing. Remember, I'm the human lie detector. Twinkletoes never cheated on you. Not once."

Katara glared at Toph. "Do you really think I'm fooled? You and the Avatar are such good friends, practically brother and sister. Am I really supposed to take you for your word? You could just be lying for him."

"Okay, then will you take my word instead?" A new voice asked. Katara looked around in shock and saw her brother approaching.

"Sokka!" Katara gasped.

"I went to the Southern Air Temple with the intent of killing Aang for what he did to you." Sokka said. "That's because I would do anything for you. I would never lie to you and I would never hurt you. Instead, I witnessed a series of events that prove that someone else meddled in your marriage, made it appear that Aang had cheated on you… all for the goal of your destruction."

"I… don't understand." Katara gasped.

"Both Aang and Mitsuko were brainwashed into believing that they had an affair. The child had gray eyes because the child's now-deceased father had gray eyes as well." Sokka said. "And, right on the heels of your leaving, there was an almost mutiny at the Southern Air Temple. Anil was attacked by Sho."

Katara gasped. "Anil! Is he…?"

"Anil's fine." Sokka said. "But Sho was goaded into extreme action. He admitted to it, and he was also able to give the identity of the woman who turned him against his brother, and memories hidden inside Aang and Mitsuko showed that the same woman is responsible for their troubles…"

"That woman's name… is Azula." Toph said.

Katara did not say anything for a long time, and then she sighed. "Aang?"

Cautiously, Aang stepped out from behind the earth wall. "Yes, Katara?"

"I think that we need to talk in private." She said.

"As you wish." Aang said, taking the lead towards his house.

* * *

They stepped into the house and Aang closed the door after Katara. She turned to face him. "Please, Aang, look me in the eyes and tell me that what they said is true."

"It's true." Aang said firmly, meeting her eyes confidently. Katara could see it in his eyes this time, he was not lying.

"But… how?" Katara asked. "How did this all happen?"

Aang sighed and began to explain everything, about his meeting with Azula, the existence of another Soulbender, Mitsuko's encounter with Azula, and everything that had happened between Sho and Anil.

Katara collapsed on the couch. "Oh Spirits… that's just insane! Just how long do you think Azula has been planning this?"

"Knowing her, since the moment you defeated her." Aang said. "But, Katara, there is something that I think I deserve an explanation on now. Some part of me deep down inside knew that there was something wrong with those memories. I tried to tell you that something was wrong with me, but you completely ignored me. Why didn't you give me a chance to explain myself?"

For the first time, Katara seemed distraught and she began to cry softly. "I'm so sorry, Aang. I guess this all goes back to… The Plan."

"It's been fifteen years." Aang pointed out. "And I promised you that I would not be involved with any more repopulation plans like that."

"I know…" Katara said brokenly. "It just… hurt me more than I thought it would. The Plan left some scars on me that didn't go away. I was able to ignore those scars for years, but then…" She trailed off.

"What, Katara?"

"I accepted the plan in the first place because I knew that you only saw it as a particularly painful Avatar duty. I saw it from the look on your face… you hated the plan and you found it distasteful, but you could not refuse to go along with it in good conscience. I also remember how you acted when you came back to me after your nights with those other women…"

"The six hardest nights of my life." Aang said seriously.

"But there was some darkness there…" Katara began. "I wasn't even aware of it myself. Some part of me was worried that you'd somehow take the Plan as an 'okay' to cheat on me."

"Katara, I would have never…"

"My heart told me that you would never do that to me, but it was still inside me, like a slow-acting poison. When Mitsuko showed up at the Air Temple… I was inclined to believe her story because it fed into all my darkest fears… of losing you. I thought I had lost you and that you no longer loved me…" Katara said tearfully. "That I was just a convenient Air Nomad-making machine…"

"Oh, Spirits, Katara… no!" Aang gasped. "I've never thought of you like that. You are the woman I love, and our children are products of that love… not duty. If I did feel that way about you, I would have timed this baby to be a fall baby as well…" Aang said, touching her for the first time, on her lower abdomen.

Katara let out a sob. "Aang… forgive me. Please forgive me for ever doubting you and your love." She fell into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly with the intent of never letting go.

Aang returned her embrace just as tightly. "I've all ready forgiven you."

They were still holding tightly onto one another as their lips moved together, and meshed together intimately for the first time since Katara had left. Katara sobbed into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, drinking deeply from her as if she were the very source of his life.

"I forgive you… I forgive you." Aang whispered softly against her lips.

"I love you." Katara whispered in reply, tightening her hold on him. Katara moaned softly when Aang began to automatically undo the ties of her dress. "Aang…"

"What?" Aang breathed, pulling away from her slightly. "Too soon?"

"No, not soon enough." Katara replied, pulling the fabric from her body, not caring when it ripped in protest at the rough treatment. "Oh Spirits, I'm missed you…"

Aang nodded and pulled off his clothes as well. Over the course of their marriage, they had experienced sex of all kinds, but there was something about make-up sex. Neither of them liked that it followed arguments, but there was something wholly spiritual about it… a divine reconnection between two people remembering that they are madly in love, and that petty problems are nothing compared to that.

They moved together and fell upon their couch, completely naked in each other's presence, both physically and emotionally. Katara allowed him to take the place of dominance, hoping that he would receive the non-verbal message with her submission. _I am yours._ Her body language told him. _I have always been yours and I will always be yours._

Aang kissed her passionately and pulled away slightly. "I am yours too." He whispered, drawing a smile from her lips.

* * *

Lemon Link: : / / light-eco-sage . tumblr post / 25251513339 / dvl - chapter - 45 - lemon

* * *

As their orgasms faded, Aang dropped his head on her breast and she held him close to her, both of them crying tears of happiness. "I love you, Katara… I love you so much." Aang whispered, lifting his head and pulling her into a kiss.

"I love you too." Katara replied. "But there is one more thing we need to do…"

"What?" Aang whispered.

"When I… left the Air Temple, a renounced my marriage to you." Katara said. "Technically, we are no longer married."

"Oh." Aang said, his face dropping briefly. But then he caught Katara's earlier meaning and looked back at her. "Katara, would you do me the very great honor of marrying me… again?" He asked.

"Of course, Aang… of course." Katara whispered, embracing him.

* * *

Kyoshi's headman was very shocked when he got woken up by the Avatar and his wife late that night, and was even more shocked when they asked him to perform a wedding ceremony for them.

After they briefly explained the situation, the headman consented to perform a vow renewal ceremony for them. It was to happen immediately and quietly. There were only five witnesses: Sokka, Suki, Michiko, Toph, and The Duke.

The headman quickly explained to Aang and Katara how the ceremony worked, and then began.

"Dear friends, we are gathered here today to once again celebrate the love that is shared between Avatar Aang of the Air Nomads and Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Their love has withstood the test of time, leading to seventeen years of happiness together. Today, they have made the decision to reaffirm the sacred oaths they took on their wedding day. Avatar Aang, what do you pledge?"

Aang smiled at Katara, taking her hands in his. "Katara, my love, from the first day that we met, I knew that there was something between us that was stronger than even the Avatar Spirit. As we traveled together, you proved that our love was stronger than everything, including death, again and again. You were my friend and my protector… but even more than that… you were the person that I loved more than any other in the world."

"But I am the Avatar too." Aang continued. "Because of that, I can never escape my calling or my duty to the world. There were times that I chose my duty over your happiness, and the thought kills me. The Plan gave me six wonderful children, and I would not trade them for anything in the world. But it was not about the children. You were hurt, and I was woefully blind to it."

"I discovered something about myself after you left." Aang said. "I had thought, as the Avatar, that my duty was the most important thing. But that goes to show that even the wisest and most powerful of us can be wrong. My duty is not the most important thing. You are, Katara… our love is the most important thing. In the absence of love, my duty meant absolutely nothing to me. I could not function, either as the Avatar or as a living being. Duty is nothing in the face of a love such as ours. Katara, my vow to you today is that you will _always_ come first in my mind, for without you, there would be no Avatar. I love you, and my duty to the world will never make me forget that again."

As Aang finished his vows, Katara was crying tears of happiness. "Lady Katara, what do you pledge?" The headman asked.

Katara hastily wiped her tears away before she began to speak. "Many of the wisest people on earth say that a marriage is a constant work in progress. In my experience being married with you, I find this to be true. Our marriage is not perfect, but neither is any marriage. The one thing that will make a marriage work is the will and desire to work at it, even with life throws tough moments at you."

"This is a lesson that I forgot recently. Rather than working with you when we had troubles, I ran away from you… away from our greatest strength." Katara said. "I should have listened to those older and wiser than me, because they do tend to know what they are talking about, sometimes."

"Aang, my only… today I apologize for forgetting these lessons and for not putting enough trust in you or our love. People say that marriage is made up of three parts: love, intimacy, and trust. I did not trust you enough, and I deeply regret it. Today I vow to put more effort into the success of our marriage and to trust you with everything that I am."

"The Spirits have heard the vows you've made today and are pleased." The headman said. "May we all bear witness to the eternal love that binds these two together and grow from it ourselves, and may you never forget the love you share for each other. You may kiss your forever-bonded love."

Aang and Katara gladly followed the headman's order, pulling each other into a passionate kiss that would reaffirm their love forever.

* * *

The newly re-married couple specifically told the headman not to wake anyone up for any sort of celebrations as to the renewal of their vows. This was because, once they had repaired their marriage, their minds once again turned to the threat that was looming over both of them.

While they were reconnecting, Sokka received a Messenger Hawk that arrived from Zuko, bearing a troubling message. He had investigated the woman locked in Azula's cell and had discovered that she was not Azula, but another woman forced into pretending. He also said that he would be happy to take in Mitsuko and her child, but Aang hardly noticed that. Here was concrete proof that Azula was lose and after his family.

"We can't move on with our lives as long as she's loose." Katara said.

"I agree." Aang said as they snuck back into their house, taking care that no one saw them. "What we need is a counter-plan."

"We'll come up with one together." Katara said, kissing her husband. "And we'll make Azula regret the day she ever came after us."

"Yes… let's work on it together." Aang agreed.

* * *

**LES: No more marital discord! Yay! But… now to deal with Azula…**

**Also, since we are very quickly coming to the end of the story, I thought I'd just let you guys know that I don't have a sequel planned for this story. It's not the right time for a sequel, and I'll leave it at that for now. However, I am not planning on forgetting this DvL universe. There is all ready one published companion fic to this story, and I have another one in mind. But, if there is an idea for a companion fic you'd like to see, just send me a message. The only two rules is that it has to fit in with the DvL universe. So it doesn't have to be an event that I mentioned in the story, it just can't contradict the story. The second rule is that it has to be one-shot sized.  
**


	46. Counter Plan

**LES: This chapter makes it official. This is the longest story I have ever written! **

**Chapter XLVI: Counter Plan

* * *

**

Late into the night, Aang and Katara sat up together, putting their heads together to come up with a way to counter Azula.

"I think the most important thing…" Aang began eventually. "Is that Azula has to believe that this plan of hers is working. We can't give her any indication that we are on to her or that we have repaired our marriage."

"I agree." Katara nodded. "If she thinks her plan is failing, she'll just come after us again, perhaps in a more horrifying way next time."

Aang nodded thoughtfully. "There's also the danger factor." He said. "Azula… well, I don't have to say how dangerous she is." As he said this, he gestured to his back, a constant reminder of just how close Azula had come to not only ending Aang's life, but destroying the Avatar Cycle forever. "And if that's not bad enough, she has some horribly twisted Soulbender working for her."

"How did she find a Soulbender?" Katara asked.

"I don't know." Aang said. "Perhaps there are other Soulbenders out there, but the Bending art has been forgotten for so long that people just don't look for the skill anymore. But it doesn't matter how he came to be… what matters is that he is here, and he's perhaps an even bigger threat than Azula."

"How is that possible?" Katara asked.

"I know better than anyone what a Soulbender is capable of." Aang said. "It's not just about taking someone's Bending or reading a person's soul. It's like having that person's very life in your hands. When I overcome another person with Soulbending, I can basically force them to do anything I want. A Soulbender does not have to kill their victims… they can make their victims want to kill themselves. But this Soulbender's true power is in the fact that it is impossible to beat him."

"How is that possible?" Katara asked.

"Because emotional weaknesses like fear and doubt are the things that make a soul bendable." Aang said. "The Soulbender used Soulbending on himself to remove these emotions from himself… but he probably went too far. He removed any trace of emotions and his sense of self. He has no Soul to bend. When I fought against him, even all the strength that is given to me by the Avatar's Spirit could not prevail against him when there is nothing there to Bend. However that Soulbender is stopped, it can't be with Soulbending. And we cannot even let him get close enough to touch us, because that would be the instant that you lose."

"We won't lose." Katara insisted. "We have the upper hand. Azula doesn't know that we are on to her." They fell silent again.

"Sokka, Toph, The Duke, and I talked on our way here from the Southern Air Temple…" Aang began. "We really think that Azula's going to try to come after you first."

"Me?"

"Yes. You are the one who defeated her during Sozin's Comet." Aang pointed out. "Do you really think she's forgotten about that? And she tried to destroy our marriage. Her plan had two effects. The first one was making you leave the Southern Air Temple, and the second was causing me to become depressed. I was no longer a threat, but you still were. She probably would have come after you first, and then killed me at her leisure."

"That does make sense." Katara said. She leaned forward in her chair, her elbows on her knees and her hands holding her chin. "Come on… think like Sokka…" She whispered to herself.

"Set a trap." Aang commented, remembering Sokka talking about hunting years ago. "Let the prey come to you on your own terms."

Katara smiled. "I think I've got it. She's going to come to me right? So we'll set a trap here on Kyoshi Island, let Azula come to us, and then…"

"Spring the trap." Aang finished.

"She'll certainly be in for one big surprise." Katara said before she began to outline her plan for Aang.

* * *

It was approaching dawn when the two finally finished their planning session, and it was time to put the plan into action. Aang and Katara stood at the door, just inside their house, wrapped in a tight embrace.

"I really don't like this part." Aang commented, kissing her passionately.

"It has to be done." Katara said. "Azula could have someone watching the house, and they have to believe that there has been no understanding between us."

Aang pulled out of her arms slightly. "We probably won't get a chance to talk again for a while, but I have to ask you…"

"Don't ask me to stay away from the fight." Katara said.

"I wasn't." Aang said. "In all the time I've known you, I've learned that you're never one to back down from a fight. Just, please… keep yourself safe… for your sake… and for our baby's sake." Aang said, gently touching her stomach.

Katara kissed him. "That's a promise I will keep. Now, come on, Aang. We've got to do this…"

"At least we know you don't mean it this time." Aang said in a half-hearted attempt at humor.

"I love you." Katara whispered.

"I love you too." Aang replied.

Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped. One second, they were every bit a loving husband and wife, and then the next, two people feuding.

"Do you really think that begging will make me change my mind?" Katara shouted, forcing the door open and shoving Aang outside. "I told you before; I never want to see you again!"

"Please, Katara! I know I made a mistake!" Aang yelling pleadingly. "I've changed, and it won't happen ever again!"

"Enough with the lies!" Katara shouted. "Once unfaithful, always unfaithful! Everyone knows that!"

Katara turned to go back into the house. "Just go, Aang… before this is more painful for the both of us. If you come back again, I will attack you." She slammed the door in his face.

"Katara!" Aang gasped. For good measure, he self-triggered the Avatar State and had another emotional collapse outside the house, using pain and hurt felt by his own past lives to make his own anguish seem real.

When he was finally able to get up, he spent a few more minutes standing outside the house as if waiting for Katara to come back out and let him in, but knowing that she would not. It was all part of the plan. To anyone else, it would seem like they had not made up and that Katara was still angry at him, and Aang was still in the middle of an emotional collapse.

After a time, he finally left the house.

A dark pair of eyes watched the whole episode, and then quickly disappeared into the woods to report to their master that the Avatar and his wife were still fighting, as planned.

Aang made his way to Appa, shoving the townspeople out of his way in a fake temper tantrum, and quickly left before anyone could stop him. As he flew Appa away from Kyoshi Island, Aang allowed himself the tiniest little grin.

_Your move now, Azula.

* * *

_

Aang may have pretended to leave Kyoshi Island, but the reality he did not go far. He flew Appa away from the island, long enough for him to write a letter to Anil, asking for him to gather all his children except for Ammy and Sho to come and provide aid with the trap. Ammy, of course, could not come because she was far too fragile to be close to a battle. And Sho would still be recovering from Aang's attack.

Once the letter was finished, he took a leaf out of Guru Pathik's book and attached the note to Appa's horn. Aang got onto Appa's head. "Hey, buddy, I need you to continue back to the Southern Air Temple alone. Make sure that Anil gets the letter that is tied to your horn. Can you do that for me?"

Appa let out a small growl in response.

"Thanks buddy." Aang said, retrieving his staff from the saddle. "Fly fast and take care of yourself." With that, Aang leapt off Appa, opening the glider in free-fall and beginning to make his own journey back to Kyoshi Island on his glider, which was much stealthier than Appa. With the glider, he would be able to sneak back unnoticed, and it was important to the plan that no one know that he was on Kyoshi Island.

He could only hope that enough time would pass, giving Anil the time to gather his children at the Southern Air Temple, and come in time to give him and Katara some back-up. The whole plan could hinge on it.

* * *

It took two weeks for something to happen, a very hard two weeks for Katara to not see the man that she loved, and yet knowing that he was so close. Yet, she dared not seek him out. It was all part of the plan. Besides, she didn't really expect that it would take much longer for Azula to make her move. She had patiently waited to take revenge on Aang and herself for over twenty years. Could she really wait much longer?

She was currently walking home from the market place to her brother's house, carrying some of her wares on her hip.

However, just as she was thinking that she would give anything for the suspense to end and for the whole situation to be over; a hauntingly familiar voice spoke out from the shadows.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Katara spun around, and saw a woman who was obviously an older Azula standing in one of the shadows of a building. "A poor Water Tribe whore without her spiritual protector. How… convenient for me."

Katara dropped her basket and turned to face Azula, her hands raised defensively. "Azula!"

"What's the matter?" Azula asked playfully. It was then that Katara realized that she was surrounded by at least thirty men, but one man in particular sent chills down her spine. His face was blank and emotionless. She realized that this had to be the Soulbender that Aang warned her about. "Surprised to see me?"

This time, Azula was the one who was shocked when another voice answered her question. "Not really." She turned around, and was shocked to see the Avatar standing behind her, looking perfectly fit and not the emotional mess that her spies led her to believe.

"You! But how…?" Azula began.

"I saw through your little plan, Azula." Aang said firmly. "You have failed to tear my family apart because the one thing you could never understand is love or the bond between family. The memory of what you did to me under Ba Sing Se has haunted me for far too long. This will end today, even if I have to take away your Bending or turn you into a soulless husk like your pet Soulbender."

"Oh really?" Azula asked with a laugh. "Because unless I'm counting wrong, the odds are over thirty against two."

"Not quite." Aang said. As if on cue, more people stepped out of the woods, all of them led by the eldest among them, Anil. They were all of Aang's children who were old enough and skilled enough to be in a battle. Anil had managed to bring all of his Bending siblings, even Sho, who had insisted on coming and facing the woman who had tricked him.

After a brief moment of fear, Azula began to laugh again. "Thirty against nine is not much better than thirty against two. The odds are still against you."

"I've beaten the odds before." Aang said. "And, today, I'll do it again…" As one, all the children attacked Azula's foot-soldiers while Aang and Katara rushed at Azula.

The fight had begun.

* * *

**LES: Cliff hanger! Don't worry, though, the next chapter is being posted now, so it's not really a cliffhanger after all.  
**


	47. The Fight

**LES: Sorry about the delay in posting this. I was going to write this Sunday afternoon, but I happened to go out into the living room to check how my mother's football game was going. (She's a Steelers fan.) And when I walked out there, the Steelers started to play amazingly. I got dubbed the good luck charm and was forced to stay there the whole time. But… the Steelers won, so my mother is really happy. **

**Anyway… now onto the climax of this chapter, which will probably be the most difficult for me to write. Action sequences are not my forte, but I shall do my best.**

**Chapter XVIIL: The Fight

* * *

**

The plan had been worked out carefully between Aang and his children before-hand. Aang was proud of the abilities of every single one of his children, but he had given them specific orders that they were not to attempt to fight Azula or the Soulbender.

They were needed to fend off Azula's minions, and if any of them got hurt or killed, Aang would never have been able to forgive himself.

Aang would join forces with his wife and fight against Azula and the Soulbender together, and he left the command of his sons and daughters in the capable hands of his eldest son.

Anil's fight with Sho weeks ago had not been able to accurately portray his abilities as an Airbender. Now, however, he was in his prime, an Airbender almost as powerful as his father. He seemed to be everywhere at once, providing a great contribution to the battle by disabling Firebenders by using the Final Airbending move on a small scale, for fire could not exist without air. He was able to naturally work well with all of his siblings, with the exception of his Waterbending sister Hitomi, seeing as he had trained most of them.

He kept an eye on his siblings, making sure that none of them were in danger of being overwhelmed, and jumping into the fray instantly when several of Azula's minions began to try teaming up on the siblings in an effort to overwhelm them. He also secretly kept an eye on his parents, watching in case they needed the slightest help. He knew he had promised his father that he would stay out of the way, but he still was determined to have his back in case something bad happened.

Aang and Katara's biggest issue was keeping the Soulbender away from them. The only thing they had going in their favor was that the Soulbender needed to touch them in specific spots in order for Soulbending to occur. If he missed these spots by even a fraction on an inch, there would be no Soulbending. So, instead of trying to stop the Soulbender, which would have been nearly impossible, they focused on deflecting his hands to other parts of their bodies.

Aang also realized that the Soulbender would have to be disabled before he could concentrate on Azula. His only hope of subduing her peacefully lay in Soulbending, and if he pulled her into a Soulbending battle too soon, it would leave him open to assault from the other Soulbender. Katara, as powerful a Waterbender as she was, could not hold him off alone for the time it would take Aang to overcome Azula's powerful, but twisted Soul.

Katara could not help but think of old times while she and Aang fended off the Soulbender's attacks together. Even when they were children practicing their Bending together, they had an unusual amount of coordination. This fight was like that again, except Aang was not mostly limited to his Airbending. He used all four of the elements; sometimes in such close proximity that it was like he was Bending them both at the same time, a feat he had only been able to achieve with the Avatar State. He used Earth and Air mostly as shields, while sending out attacks of Fire and Water to keep the Soulbender at bay.

Azula stood at a comfortable distance. She seemed more than willing to sit back and let the Soulbender handle them. After all, he did not tire as normal soldiers did. He would fight himself to death before he would allow himself a breather in battle.

However, things quickly went wrong when one of Azula's Earthbending minions broke through the ranks of Aang's children and rushed at the couple. Anil saw this, and barely had the time to knock his own opponents away before rushing after his parent's attacker. Anil send a massive blast of air at the attacker, sending him flying into the nearest tree, but not before he had launched his Earthbending assault, raising a thick earthen wall between the Avatar and his wife, separating them.

"Katara!" Aang gasped, turning around and realizing the full horror of the situation. He had been cut off from his wife for a few moments, and normally those few moments would mean nothing. He could destroy a wall like this in a split second. But that split second was time he did not have, for the Soulbender had been locked on Katara's side of the wall. "Katara!" He screamed again, turning to tear down the wall in a single, swift blow… but it was all ready too late.

Katara barely had time to register the wall that rose and separated herself and Aang before she realized that she was now facing the Soulbender by herself. Some animal instinct part of the Soulbender that had survived his own botched Soulbending knew that Katara's protections were diminished and instantly made his move.

Faster than most people could react, he threw himself at Katara; one hand aiming for her forehead and the other for her heart.

Katara's body froze, but her mind did not. She only had time for a single thought, and that thought was the helpless unborn child that she carried within her womb. A precious piece of herself and Aang depended on her completely was in danger. Katara wasn't even worried about her own death, but the death of the unborn child. How could she deny a healthy child a chance at life? How could she just sit back and watch her baby's death approach like Fate itself?

She made a split second decision. The sort of person who could mindlessly wield the power to destroy a mother's bond with her unborn child and force death upon them was someone who did not deserve the power at all.

On reflex, she struck out against the Soulbender for the life of her unborn child. There was a spray of red, and the earthen wall crumbled behind her, destroyed by her husband in his rush to get to her.

"Katara!" He gasped.

Katara turned around slowly, covered in blood, and for a horrible, heart-stopping moment, Aang thought that it was her blood, and then he saw the Soulbender behind her.

He had stopped in his tracks, his expression completely unchanged, even as blood flowed freely from the gash in his neck. In a rush of protectiveness for the life of her unborn child, she had aimed for the life of the Soulbender, and had succeeded in taking it.

The unnamed Soulbender took a few lurching steps towards Katara, still trying to complete his duty even as his lifeblood drained from his neck. And then he collapsed on the ground and died, his face never showing even the slightest hints of fear even in his last moments before the darkness took him.

Neither Aang nor Katara said or did anything, for they did not know what to say. It was the first time Katara had taken someone's life. And then, to Katara's shock, she felt Aang turn her around and pull her into a swift embrace so that she could no longer see the body of the man she just killed.

"I… I just killed him. I didn't even think…" Katara cried in horror.

"It's okay." Aang said firmly.

"You… forgive me?" Katara asked, thinking that Aang would denounce her killing of the Soulbender.

"I don't believe in killing any living being." Aang whispered. "But that man… he was not alive. He was of the living dead. You did nothing but send him to where he needed to go." He let go of her, and turned to face where his children were still fighting against Azula's minions. Many of them had been disabled, but there remained plenty more. "We need to end this." Aang said. "I'll use the Avatar State to clear this rabble, and then we'll deal with Azula together."

He moved away from Katara, and closed his eyes in preparation to use the Avatar State.

Sho was fighting against an Earthbender near-by, and succeeded in knocking the air out of his lungs with a blast of compressed air to the chest, knocking him down for the count. He was about to jump over to assist Anil, who was getting overwhelmed with no less than seven Benders ganging up on him, when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, and it gave him pause.

He saw that his parents had succeeded in stopping the Soulbender's rampage. Sho couldn't tell from his angle, but the Soulbender looked like he was dead. He saw Katara covered in blood, probably from stopping the Soulbender, and he saw his father with his eyes closed and his arms spread out. Sho recognized that he was about to use the Avatar State.

And then something else caught his eye and time seemed to slow down.

The woman who had tricked him had been merely content to stand back thus far and not contribute to the battle, and it seemed like his parents had forgotten her presence because of that. She stepped over the earthen wall that his father had broken down to get to Katara, watching the Avatar's movements very carefully.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Aang's tattoos began to light up with all the power of the summoned Avatar State. In that very instant, Azula screamed "Now!" and used her father's method of creating instant lightning to send a blast of fatal electricity right at Aang's back.

Time was moving so slow that Sho could see the progression of the lightning as it branched out, moving towards his father. There was no time to think, only to do, and he did what his heart told him to do.

He used Airbending to speed up his movements and rushed towards Aang as fast as he possibly could, covering the few feet in distance in a split second, and shoved his father out of the way of the incoming blast of lightning.

Instead of striking Aang and killing him along with the Avatar Cycle, the lightning hit Sho directly in his lower back, blasting him off his feet, and only just managing to not get thrown into a tree by being knocked into his siblings instead.

It took a second for everyone to realize what happened. Katara felt her knees go weak as she processed what had happened. "SHO!" She screamed, running over towards him.

Aang looked up from his place on the ground, his eyes and tattoos no longer glowing, but the power of the Avatar State still running through his veins. It only took a second for him to realize what had happened when he saw Sho laying lifeless on the ground, and Azula standing to the side, her arms still outstretched from the attack, but a look of shock on her face. Years of planning, and she had missed her one opportunity.

All that Aang felt in that moment was terrible sadness and rage. He was on his feet in an instant, turning to face Azula. "Azula! Surrender or I'll be forced to disable you right here and now!"

"Ha! I may have missed my chance to kill the Avatar for good, but I can still kill you!" Azula laughed manically. "I know that you have to touch me to perform Soulbending! If you take one step towards me, I'll send you to join your traitorous son!"

That was the last straw. Aang whirled his arms around and performed the final Airbending move on Azula. But he had miscalculated. He had never before even tried to perform the move while he was in the Avatar State, so it was quite a bit more powerful than normal.

He had meant to draw the air from Azula's lungs and give her a shock, but the move did more than that. It drew every ounce of air from her body, even the oxygen in her blood and cells. Her lungs collapsed in on themselves, causing instant asphyxiation and her other organs that depended on oxygen stopped working in an instant.

Azula was dead before she even hit the ground.

Aang froze in place, staring in horror at what he had accidentally done. He had completely forgotten that he was in the Avatar State in the first place. For the first time in his long life, he had murdered someone. He would have broken down right there if Katara had not called to him.

"AANG! Come quickly! It's Sho!" Katara yelled.

Aang rushed over, not even noticing that Azula's minions had all disappeared upon her death. They apparently could tell when they were losing a battle and decided to quit while they still had their lives.

Aang slid on his knees next to Katara, who was holding Sho in her arms. He was still alive, but only just. The only reason he was still alive was because he had been hit in his lower back rather than his chest.

"Sho… Oh, Spirits… Sho…" Aang gasped, pulling his son into an embrace.

"Aang…" Katara said gently, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. He looked up at her slowly. She was holding out some water for him. "You're the only one who can do it." She said softly.

Understanding flowed through him and he accepted the water from Katara. He entered the Avatar State and charged the water with his own spiritual power, turning it into glowing Spirit Water. He lifted Sho up slightly, and pressed the glowing water into his back just as Katara had done for him all those years ago.

Several moments passed before Sho's breathing began to come a little easier, and he opened his eyes slightly. "Dad?" He gasped quietly. "I'm sorry for getting in the way when you told us… not to."

"I forgive you, Sho. I forgive you. You saved my life today." Aang said firmly. "Now you just rest now, son. Everything's going to be all right." Sho smiled slightly before he passed out cold.

With Sho all right, Aang looked around, taking stock of the rest of his children. There were some injuries here and there, but Sho was by far the worst, and he was in a lot better shape now.

"We're… all going to be all right." Aang breathed a sigh of relief. "It's over now." As one, the entire family crowded around him, and they shared a group embrace, glad that they had survived the challenges and come out of it a much stronger family.

* * *

In the shadows of the woods, a group of survivors from Azula's group watched the family share their little moment. None of them dared to attack now after they'd seen what they had done to their two strongest members.

"What do we do now?" One of the men asked.

"I don't know." Another said. "But that's it, then. The Anti-Avatar moment has been virtually destroyed. There's no going back to our former glory now."

"There remains one option." Another commented. "There's always the Anti-Bending movement. They are also against the Avatar controlling government."

The first man snorted. "They are just a lobby group. They know nothing for fighting for what they believe."

"But they can be taught, right?" The second pressed. "I'm sure they would be willing to let us join because we've run a guerrilla movement. We can tell them we'll move them from small-time protesting to actually causing trouble and making some changes."

The first considered that point. "That does sound like a good point. All in favor of joining up with the Anti-Bending movement?"

Of course, none of the surviving Benders voted for that, but they were in the definite minority since most of their Benders were lying unconscious on the recent battle field. But all the non-Benders voted to make the merge.

The first man glanced at the Benders with sympathy. "I'll understand if you guys don't want to go. Tell you want, we'll try to make them see that not all Benders are bad… just the Avatar."

With that, the group split up. The Benders decided to continue with the Anti-Avatar movement, which would end up disappearing completely after a few years with no one to support it after their resounding defeat on Kyoshi Island. The non-Benders, however, joined forces with the Anti-Bending movement, bringing all of their violence along with them.

And the rest is history…

* * *

**LES: Nope, this story is not done yet. Still got some loose ends to tie up.**

**And here's more reason I love posting this story elsewhere before posting it here. I get feedback. So... anyway... Aang killing Azula. It was an accident, pure and simple. Even when he was filled with rage at Sho getting injured, he just wanted to subdue Azula, not kill her. However, when you have the vast sort of power that Aang has, it only takes a minor misapplication of strength to kill someone, which is what happened.**

**I'm one of the people who 100% support Aang's decision to not kill the Fire Lord in the show finale. But, as a writer, it is much more fascinating for me to deal with Aang's character in the face of him accidentally killing someone.  
**


	48. Recovery

**LES: It's all pretty much downhill from here. The end of this story is in sight… just a little longer… hold it together…**

**Chapter IIL: Recovery

* * *

**

On the trip back to the Southern Air Temple, the whole family was pretty quiet. Katara and Hitomi both worked around the clock on Sho, making sure that he was healing up properly. For a while, Katara had been worried that Sho would never fully recover from the lightning strike. But the quick administration of Spirit Water had healed the worst of the damage, and she was now hopeful that he would eventually make a full recovery.

There was also another reason for the silence.

Aang had not fallen into a depression like the one that followed Katara leaving the Southern Air Temple, but he was still in a state of shock and horror about what the fight had come to. He had been quick to forgive what Katara did to the Soulbender, but he was having a much harder time forgiving himself. That Soulbender was not alive anymore, but Azula was. She could still feel and experience life… but Aang had ripped that away from her without giving her a chance to defend herself.

Katara watched her husband suffering, and she longed to comfort him, but she also did not want to talk about these things in front of the children. All the children had understood that when you were a battle, sometimes you had to do what you had to do. Katara had been forced into attacking for her life, and Aang had committed an accident… a terrible accident, but still an accident.

A few days later, they landed at the Southern Air Temple and, after Katara went to go check on Ammy, she met up with her husband. "Come with me. We need to talk." She said softly, drawing him up to their room.

Once they got there, Katara turned to face Aang's sad and haunted eyes. "I know this must feel terrible for you…"

"I killed her, Katara." Aang said finally. "I had the power to stop her without using deadly force like I did with Ozai, and I didn't… I took away her life without a second thought. I…"

"Aang." Katara whispered, pulling him into an embrace. "What happened was no less worse than what I did to that Soulbender."

"No, Katara, it isn't…" Aang said. "His heart may have been beating, but he was not alive, for he could not experience life for its joys, sorrows or pains. Azula could…"

"Yes, Azula could still feel." Katara accepted. "But did she? Did she really let herself experience life? Her whole life had been dedicated to power, hatred, revenge. Is that really a way to live?" Aang did not answer. "Even if she was truly happy with the life she was living, which I doubt she was, what happened to her was an accident."

"But I still had a choice…" Aang began.

"Did you really?" Katara asked. "You struck out against Azula for the same reason that I struck out against the Soulbender… for the protection of our children. What parent would not go to any lengths to protect their child?"

"One who doesn't care." Aang said.

"But you do care, Aang. You know that if Sho had died, it would have destroyed you. We did what any decent parent would do… defending our children from harm."

"Katara…" Aang gasped, pulling her into a kiss.

"I still love you Aang. I will always love you, no matter what." Katara replied into his kiss. "You forgave me for what I did to the Soulbender, so I forgive you what you did to Azula. Now I want you to forgive yourself as well."

They shared another passionate kiss, having been starved of this sort of affection for almost three weeks.

When they pulled apart, Katara spoke. "I think it's about time we told the children about their newest sibling." Katara said, smiling at him.

"I think you're right. And it's time for another change as well." Aang took her hand in his and, together, they headed down into the Temple's main living quarters, telling their children that they met along the way to gather the rest to meet down there.

* * *

It took ten minutes for the entire family to gather in the living quarters, all of the children staring expectantly at their father and Katara.

"First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your help these past few weeks." Aang said. "It's been hard on all of us, but we managed to push through the challenges and are now stronger because of it. I am proud to call each and every one of you my sons and daughters. But I'd like to specially congratulate my two sons: Anil and Sho." Anil acknowledged the praise with pride, but Sho shrunk under it. After all, he had been one of the reasons that things got as bad as it did. "Anil, without your leadership both on and off the battlefield, everything would have turned out a lot worse. And Sho…" Aang smiled down at his son. "It seems like the ability to learn from your mistakes comes from your mother's side of the family. Yes, you did make mistakes, but you not only learned from them, but paid them back a hundredfold. You gave me the information I needed to realize that Azula was the one behind our troubles and you saved my life almost at the expense of your own. You also saved the fate of the Avatar Cycle as well, and you will always be remembered because of it. Thank you." Aang said, bowing to Sho.

Katara picked up the telling. "And now that all that trouble's over and our family is back together again, your father and I have a little announcement to make…" She paused, smiling at her husband. "I'm pregnant." She said.

The reaction was immediate. All the girls reacted with squeals of delight, with little Neela asking her mother loudly if that means she won't be the baby anymore. The boys were a bit more reserved, slight grins forming on their lips at the thought of having a younger brother. (They desperately wanted another little boy to do manly things with.) Anil stood up and pulled his mother into an embrace.

Aang watched the scene with delight in his heart, but there was still one more thing to do. He raised his hands for silence and the group obeyed immediately. "Anil, come here." He said.

Anil glanced at his mother, who he still held in an embrace, and she nodded at him, smiling. Reassured, he stepped away from her and walked over to stand before his father.

Aang gave him a reassuring smile and reached out his hands, pressing one to his forehead and one to his heart. Anil's heart picked up nervously when he realized what was about to happen…

Aang's eyes and tattoos began to glow as he entered the Avatar State. For several moments, nothing happened, and then Aang began to speak with the layered voice of the Avatar. "The world is in desperate need for the Air Nomad nation to come back, and no one is more qualified to do just that than you. You have the Airbending skill necessary to teach a new generation of Airbenders. You have the compassion and love to lead your family and your nation with wisdom understanding. The road to rebuilding a Nation is a difficult one, but it is one that you shall overcome. You have our blessing to become the next leader of the Air Nomad nation." The glow of the Avatar State faded, leaving Aang smiling at his son.

"You… think I'm ready?" Anil asked in amazement.

"I know you are ready." Aang said. "While I was depressed, you ran the temple and took care of my Avatar duties, you were also able to train your siblings yourself, and you were able to lead them in battle, if necessary. You are more than ready, and I will still be here to help you if you need it. After all, it is the Avatar's duty to ensure the prosperity of all the Nations."

"Thank you, father. This is a… great honor. I hope that I will not let you down." Anil said, bowing to him.

Katara stepped forward, smiling at her son, and kissing his forehead. "Congratulations, Anil." She whispered to him, showing him a necklace with a medallion on it bearing the Air Nomad symbol. It was to mark him as the Leader of a Nation. He bent down slightly and his mother placed it over his head and around his neck.

Anil turned to face his siblings as the new leader of the Air Nomad nation.

"Bringing back the Air Nomad nation is a task that will take more than one lifetime to complete, but I swear today that I will do everything in my power to ensure the continuance of our culture." Anil said. "Our first step is to being rebuilding and reclaiming the other Air Temples for the future Air Nomad nation so that our history is not lost. My half-siblings…" He gazed fondly at them. "Soon, you will all earn your Airbending tattoos, and at that time, I would like you to head to one of the Air Temples and begin the rebuilding efforts. To lead in these efforts, I will appoint Sho, Megumi, and Toshi as my fellow head Monks and Nuns. Sho, I want you to go to the Eastern Air Temple and lead there; Megumi, you'll take the Western Air Temple; and Toshi will lead at the North. Ammy…" He glanced at his beloved half-sibling. "Will you consent to going to the Eastern Air Temple as a Head Nun as well?"

Ammy blinked in surprise. "Me? But I'm not even an Airbender. How can I help?"

"The Air Nomads were always a highly spiritual people. You will be the new Air Nomad's connection to the Spirits, ensuring the continuance of that tradition. Besides, the Eastern Temple was traditionally run by both a Monk and a Nun. I'm sure Sho will appreciate the help."

It was not lost on Sho that Anil had asked Ammy to travel with him to the Eastern Air Temple rather than staying at the Southern Air Temple to advise him on Spiritual matters. Sho sent a look of shock at his older brother just in time to catch the swift wink that Anil sent in his direction. The exchange was lost on the others, but Sho smiled to himself, glad that he had Anil, at least, on his side.

"All I ask is that you will consent to be my personal adviser in Spiritual matters." Anil said. "This will not be strenuous… merely answering a letter every once in a while."

Ammy thought about it for some time. "Very well. I accept."

* * *

**LES: Whoo-hoo… sneaky Anil! Are we done? No, we are not done! But almost… almost… The next chapter will reveal, among other things, just WHAT Toshi was doing the night Aang tried to follow him. Though, compared to the other things that have been revealed in this story, it probably won't be that much of a shock…**


	49. Rebuilding a Nation

**LES: First of all, check out this amazing gift/fan art for this story, drawn by Lex on Kataang Forever based on Chapter 45! (remove spaces) http :/ i55. tinypic. Com /24ymln5. jpg **

**This chapter takes place one year later at the Southern Air Temple. This chapter is the first in a series of time jumps. It's the least extreme.**

**Chapter IL: Rebuilding a Nation

* * *

**

Anil let out a sigh of displeasure as he stared down at the notes that he had brought back with him from his first meeting with the heads of the other nations as the Head Monk of the Air Nomads. As peace began to return to the world, the amount of meetings were reduced from four times a year to just once a year, each nation taking it in turns to host the other world leaders. The most recent meeting, which was held in Ba Sing Se, had been Anil's first time representing his family before the National Council.

It had been a different experience, because he was normally only there as support to his father, but now his father was merely the Avatar and moderator. He and his father had just gotten back to the Southern Air Temple, and Anil had called all his siblings back there for a meeting just between them. There were more things to discuss about the healing of the Air Nomad nation, and not all of them were very pleasant.

Aang understood his son's discomfort, and placed an arm around his shoulder. "I can understand how hard this is for you."

"How did you have the strength?" Anil asked.

"It was very hard to find the strength." Aang said. "I'm not sure how I found it. To this day, I wonder how I had the strength to do it…"

"That doesn't really help me." Anil pointed out.

"I know." Aang said. "But there is a chance that you won't have to…"

"Who could possibly volunteer for something like this?" Anil asked.

Aang shook his head. "I don't know. But you have to hold onto the hope."

Anil noticed that his father was staring wistfully up at the Temple. Anil recognized the look in his eyes. Anil's own eyes rolled with amusement. "Oh, go on, then." He said playfully.

Aang looked around at him in shock. "What?"

"I know that you're eager to see Mom again." Anil said. "You're wearing that look again… I've seen you wear the same look every time you have to leave Mom here taking care of a new baby."

Aang laughed. "Am I really that predictable?"

"Still a doting dad, Dad." Anil laughed. "Get going. I can take care of this."

"Are you sure…?"

"Go, or I'll Air Blast you into that tower myself." Anil said playfully. Aang smiled at him, patting his shoulder, and running towards the Temple as quickly as he could with his Airbending.

Anil laughed briefly before he remembered the distasteful topics that needed to be discussed with his siblings. He sighed, clutching the notes in his hand tighter, and continued on his way.

Before he got to the meeting place, however, he was way-laid by the sight of his younger brother, Sho, showing off his lightning scar to their younger brother, Tenzin. Sho had matured a great deal in the last year, and he also had the addition of Airbending tattoos, along with most of his 16-year-old siblings.

"Wow!" Tenzin gasped, staring at the large scar on his lower back. "This is really where you got hit with lightning? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, it felt cool when it happened." Sho responded jokingly.

"Bragging again?" Anil asked, walking up to them. "Are you ever going to let us forget that?"

"Never. You know that." Sho said, playfully punching Anil in the shoulder. "So, how was the meeting with all those pompous windbags who don't even have the excuse of being Airbenders?"

"Oh… you know… still pompous windbags." Anil said.

"As long as you don't turn into one." Sho said. "Though you're half-way there, all ready."

"Hey!" Anil protested loudly. "Sorry, Tenzin, but I've got to take your older brother and his scar away now."

"Man…" Tenzin groaned.

"If you're really that bored, you can go practice your Airbending…" Anil watched Tenzin's eyes narrow in distaste. "… or you can go help Mom with the baby." He finished.

Tenzin stared at his older brother in horror. "All right! I'll go practice Airbending." With that, Tenzin ran off, leaving the two brothers alone.

Anil glanced at his brother, taking in his appearance. Sho had come a long way in respecting his family. He was closer with all his siblings. He still had some trouble calling Katara 'mother' and slipped up every now and then, but he treated her with respect. That was good enough for the moment.

"You're looking good and, dare I say it… happy." Anil commented.

"Well, uh… I really have you to thank for that." Sho said, lowering his voice and glancing around for eavesdroppers. "I talked with Ammy after we arrived at the Eastern Air Temple. Of course, we've both been very busy hiring Earthbenders to restore the Temple, but I was able to confess my feelings for her."

"And…"

"Well, obviously, we have to keep things quiet, but we've decided to try it." Sho said quietly. "I am really happy."

"Well, then I'm glad for you." Anil said. "Does anyone else know?"

"Well, Dad and Mom… both of them." Sho said. "But that's it."

"Very well. I'll still keep my word. It will be a secret as long as you want it to be." Anil said. "Now, come on, let's get this meeting over with." Side-by-side, they walked into the sanctuary together.

* * *

The sanctuary was filled with young Air Nomads, most of them Masters and all of them having come of age. The only non-Bender present was Ammy, who was there as their Spiritual adviser. She looked in great health, not only because of the Waterbending Healer that Sho commissioned to live at the Eastern Air Temple to take care of her, but Anil also had a sneaking suspicion that Sho had something to do with her good health.

Sho took a seat next to her, and they shared a brief smile before hiding their affection and becoming all business.

Anil took his place at the head of the room and sat down. "I'm sure that you are all wondering why I've called you here to the Southern Air Temple. The first thing I would like to discuss is how we are all doing with restoring the other Air Temples. Toshi, how are things at the Northern Temple?"

Toshi stood up. "Thanks to the support of the Earth Kingdom refugees living there, the Temple has been completely rebuilt. I do have some more news as well. A third-generation child of the Air Temple has been born recently who shows signs of early Airbending."

This news caused quite a reaction among the Air Nomads. "Are you sure?" Anil asked, amazed.

"It's still too early to say for sure, for there have been no definite signs, but the baby moves like a young untrained Airbender." Toshi reported. "It is my belief that if a group of non-Benders like the Earth Kingdom refugees live on Air Nomad land long enough and live by their ways, it is possible for Airbending abilities to develop. However, this child is a descendent of Teo, one of the refugees who were most connected with the Air, so it is possible that it will take a few more generations for more Airbenders to start being born."

"This is great news." Anil said, honestly pleased, though it did not change some of the things he needed to talk about. "How about the Eastern Air Temple?" He asked, glancing at Sho.

"Well… we have nothing to report like that." Sho admitted. "But the Temple is also rebuilt and we also have a group of Earth Kingdom citizens who have decided to live there under the Air Nomad banner. Perhaps in a few generations they will start producing Airbenders as well."

"And the Western Temple?" Anil looked at Megumi.

"The Temple has been rebuilt, and Fire Lord Zuko has allowed some of the displaced Fire Nation colonials to come live at the Temple under the stipulation that they live as Air Nomads and carry our name. If what Toshi says is true, then they should produce Airbenders as well."

"This is all very good news, and it is much better than I could have hoped for after one year." Anil said, smiling brightly. "I never would have expected to have an Airbender not related to any of us born so soon. But I'm afraid that there are more things to discuss in that vein, for the world is not satisfied having to wait several generations for new Airbenders." The room fell silent. "The Earth Kingdom wants us to continue what our father started years ago. They want us to father multiple children onto several different women." Anil sighed as he glanced down at his notes. "The Earth King wanted all the male children to be involved, we would each get half-a-dozen women to father children with and further increase our genetic diversity. I put my foot down on that part. No one shall be forced to partake in this plan. I will instead ask for volunteers among my male siblings. If no one wants to volunteer, then I shall perform this duty myself."

The room fell silent for several moments, and for a while, Anil feared that he would have to face this trial alone. But then, without warning, Toshi stood up. "I'll volunteer." He said firmly.

Sho glanced at Ammy briefly and an understanding passed between them. Sho stood up as well. "I'll volunteer as well." Sho said. "My heart tells me that it would be wrong not to do my duty. Odds are, every one of my brothers and sisters will provide children to the Air Nomads in due time, but I shall not, for my heart lies with one who cannot provide me these things. Therefore, I will participate in this plan."

Everyone else looked confused, but not Anil and Ammy. They both understood what Sho was saying, even if the others did not. Anil glanced at Toshi. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"I am sure. I will participate for the same reason that Sho will. No matter how much time passes, I will not provide children to the Air Nomads on my own. My heart leads me in another direction." This time, _everyone_ was confused, even Anil. He couldn't imagine what Toshi was talking about. He understood Sho's reasons, but he couldn't imagine at another one of his brothers had fallen in love with his own sibling. The odds against that were astronomical.

"I know why Sho cannot provide children in the normal manner because he has spoken with me on this matter." Anil said, and then quickly continued. "No, I will not say why… I swore to Sho that I would not talk about this. But why can't you? I can't imagine that it is the same reason." For the first time, Toshi seemed to be put on the spot. "You can speak with me in private, if that's what you wish."

"No… it's all right. I used to be ashamed, but I'm not anymore." Toshi said. "Do you remember when I snuck away from our last reunion on Kyoshi Island?"

"How could any of us forget?" Sora commented. "That was the day Dad got Soulbent by that creepy Soulbender."

"Well… I was actually going away to meet my…" Toshi paused, almost losing his nerve again. "My… boyfriend." Silence filled the room. "I have never once found myself attracted to a woman, for my heart has led me down a different path… a path that cannot lead to children. That is why I'll participate in this plan."

"Toshi…" Anil began, quickly accepting what his brother had said. He realized that if he could accept Sho's relationship with Ammy, Toshi's love for another man was nothing. "We all want you to be happy. If this is what makes you happy, then we will accept it and you." Anil's acceptance led to the others quickly accepting it as well. After all, for most of their lives, their father had taught them to respect love in all forms, and this was no different.

Sho, who was more understanding of unconventional love than anyone, did not question it at all, and even leaned over, asking Toshi when they could meet the lucky guy.

"Okay, that's enough." Anil said, laughing. "We're all pleased that those among us have started to find love, but we can celebrate later. We still have one more… distasteful topic to discuss." He paused. "We have to discuss something that I know we all hope that we won't have to deal with in many years… Dad's eventual death." This drained the happiness out of the room in an instant. "It has been a long time since the other nations had to look for the Avatar, and the leaders of the Water Tribe no longer have the means to search for themselves. The Air Nomads are the only culture who still has the tools necessary to search…" Anil gestured to a small box at the side of the room that contained the very toys that Aang had been tested with as a boy, preserved by the old king of Omashu, the late King Bumi. "Therefore, it falls to the Air Nomads to assist the Water Tribes in searching for the Avatar when the time comes. When the time comes, I shall go to my mother's home in the Southern Water Tribe and test the young ones there. But we'll need someone to go to the Northern Tribe as well."

"I'll go." Sho said. "I would be honored to help."

Anil nodded in understanding. "Very well. But then there is the issue of the one who will teach the next Avatar. I'm sure that we will all be busy running the Air Temples, with little time to devote to training the new Avatar. The person who does it must be able to dedicate all of their time to the task, with no distractions, until the training is complete. With this in mind, I would like to offer Tenzin as a possible teacher."

"Tenzin?" Sho asked. "But he's so young and he's not even a Master yet…"

"He is young, and he is not a Master yet." Anil admitted. "But he will most likely be old enough and mature enough once the time comes for him to train the next Avatar. He is also only a few years away from getting his Airbending tattoos if he continues to improve the way he has improved in the last year. He is not a Head Monk or Nun of the Temple, so he will be able to devote all of his time to the next Avatar. I have thought about this a long time, and I really think it is the right choice."

"Well… you do make some good points." Megumi admitted. "Very well, I'll accept Tenzin as the one to train the next Avatar. Let's all hope that he has plenty of time to grow and mature before he is needed." All the siblings nodded in agreement.

"It's settled then." Anil said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Good. Then we can all go visit Mom and the new baby, right?" Sora asked.

Much to the disappointment of the male siblings, Katara had given birth to a baby girl in winter, whom she had named Amala.

"So, is she a Waterbender?" Megumi asked. "Mom and Dad were so sure that if she was born in winter, she would be a Waterbender."

"Oh, yeah, she definitely is a Waterbender, much to Mom's pleasure." Anil said with a smile, remembering a few weeks ago when Aang had been trying to bathe his daughter, and instead got soaked himself. "She looks just like Mom."

At once, the dignified Air Nomad leaders stood up and rushed out of the room in a stampede to see the newest member of their family, the Waterbender Amala.

* * *

**LES: Let's see… pretty much everyone guessed that Toshi was seeing a lady friend. Oh… so close! Yes, Toshi is gay, and he was meant to be that way ever since I first created him. With that many children, odds are at least one of them will be gay. Thankfully, he comes from a family that is very understanding of love, and are not put off by it at all.**

**Also... as for the Earth Kingdom refugees. I have to admit that when I was coming up with possible non-Plan ways to bring the Airbenders back, this one seemed the most likely. #1: They don't seem to have any Earthbenders among them, which would obviously lower the chances of Airbenders being born. #2: They have been living on Air Nomad land, and living as close to the air as they could without being Airbenders. #3: Aang said that Teo has the Spirit of an Airbender, and spirit is what makes a Bender. That's why the child is a descendant of Teo's. However, this child is a very rare thing right now, and it will take many more generations for there to be more Airbenders born.**

**The problem, obviously, is that it takes too long. Generations have to pass for even the first Airbender to be born, and many more generations will have to pass before there is a decent number of Airbenders. But this development is just what the Air Nomads need, the last burst of genetic diversity.  
**


	50. The Search

**LES: I believe that I've given you guys adequate preparation. This chapter takes place 34 years later. And, if you added everything up right, then you know that this is "Korra" era and that Aang is dead. But don't worry; he's kicking it in the Spirit World, being the totally awesome guy we all know and love. It's been three years since his death.**

**Chapter L: The Search

* * *

**

Anil shivered as he pulled his robes tighter around his body, even though the South Pole was his mother's birthplace, he had never really gotten used to the year-round freezing cold. Sure, it got cold at the Southern Air Temple in the winter, but at least they had a summer that got above freezing.

Thinking back on the last three years, it had definitely been hard. To the shock of everyone in the world, three years ago, his father had contracted a wasting illness that had affected him for weeks before finally taking his life.

Katara had done everything that she could, but had been unable to stop or slow the progression of the disease as it slowly sapped her husband's energy. There was only one explanation for her inability to heal him… that it really was his time to go, and the Spirit World was calling to him.

For the first time since they had split up upon their coming of age, all of Aang's children had gathered at the Southern Air Temple, most of them bringing along grandchildren, and were by their father's side for the last days of his life. He had passed into the Spirit World quietly, and he promised without pain, with his wife sitting next to him and surrounded by his family.

After that, it had been a very hard time for Anil. Not only was he grieving for a father that he loved dearly, but as the oldest and the leader of a family and a nation, it was his responsibility to make sure that things continued as they were, and that the Air Nomad's world did not stop.

He drew strength from the knowledge that his father was just waiting in the Spirit World, finally reunited with those he had loved and lost, and that he was waiting for his family to join him there.

It was harder to watch his mother. She carried on with life, because she knew her husband well enough to know that he wouldn't want her to give up life, but Anil could tell that she was mostly going through the motions of life, awaiting the day when the Spirit World called for her as well and she could rejoin her husband. She dealt with her husband's death the best way that anyone could… by devoting herself completely to spoiling her grandchild rotten.

As was to be expected, Sho and Toshi had, by far, the most children out of any of Aang's children. They not only had the six children from their first round of the plan, but they eventually decided to have even more children. Sho had a dozen children and Toshi had ten, because the second time two of the women failed to get pregnant. But that didn't mean the others were lazy in having their own children.

Anil smiled fondly at the child that he held cradled in against his chest. Even though the boy was ten years old, Anil permitted him to cuddle against him because of the cold. They both benefited from the warmth they provided each other.

All of Anil's siblings had fallen in love and gotten married before they turned 20, but Anil had been unusually slow in following their leads. He had been so busy running the Air Nomad nation that he hadn't put one thought to finding a wife for many years. And then, before he knew it, he was thirty years old, and the only one of his siblings who didn't have a partner or children.

Anil had put his siblings in charge of the Air Nomad nation for a time while he traveled the world once again, searching for his other half. He had met his wife, Kala, in the Southern Water Tribe, and had fallen head-over-heels in love with her over the next few years.

His siblings had made fun of him for falling in love with a Southern Water Tribe woman, saying that he had fallen in love with his mother, but Anil didn't care about their jabs. He loved Kala, and they were soon married.

It took them some more time to have a child. For many years, they just enjoyed each other's company and doted on their nieces and nephews. Finally, a son had been born to them.

Perhaps it was because he had been raised in such a large family, but Anil and Kala decided that they would focus on raising their son. So while all his siblings had many children, Anil only had one, Taro, his pride and joy. Aang, at least, had lived to see his eldest son's child.

Kala walked beside him, perfectly at home in the cold weather. "You know the cold is in your blood, right?" Kala laughed at him as he continued to shiver. "If you'd just stay here for more than a few days at a time, I'm sure you'll start feeling right at home."

"I love you." Anil told her. "That doesn't mean that I automatically have to love cold weather."

Kala rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby. It's not that cold."

"So says the woman who lived most of her life in the snow." Anil poked back playfully.

They walked together through the Southern Water Tribe city until they came upon one of the more lavishly decorated houses, which were also unique in the way that it had an old Sky Bison lying in front of the house, dozing in the snow.

Anil walked up to the Bison and he opened his large, wise eyes and greeted Anil happily as the man petted his fur. "Hey there, Appa, how are you holding up?" Anil asked the old Bison.

Appa had been almost as devastated as Katara when Aang had passed on. He had stopped eating for quite a while, and Anil had feared that he would die as well. But Appa recovered. Anil had officially retired the old Bison and let him roam free where he wanted. However, instead of flying free across the skies, it seemed that Appa himself had different plans. It seemed that he had taken in Katara as his new owner and stayed with her, even when she moved back to the Southern Water Tribe to be with her tribal family.

The old Bison was tired and did not seem to want to travel without the company of his bonded partner, so he settled down.

Once Anil had finished greeting Appa, he stepped into the house and was greeted by his youngest sister, Amala. Amala, the only Waterbender that had been born to Aang and Katara, had decided to come to the Southern Water Tribe to take care of her mother upon Aang's passing.

"Anil!" She gasped, rushing up to him and pulling him, as well as the child he held, in an embrace. Unlike the rest of Anil's siblings, Amala hadn't seen a lot of Anil while she was growing up. He had been seventeen years older than her and all ready running the Air Nomad nation when she had been born. Because she was not an Airbender, she had not been trained by him either, but by her mother. When she was growing up, her brother had been like a god… so close and yet constantly out of reach. That had changed a little upon her becoming an adult as well. "It's so good to see you again! I haven't seen you since…"

"The funeral, I know." Anil finished. "It's so good to see you, Amala. You look more like Mom every day."

It was true; Amala had turned out to be an almost perfect copy of Katara. In fact, people had often tried to find something of Aang in her appearance. Aang and Katara had insisted that she had Aang's nose, but Anil looked closer… it looked like Katara's nose to him.

"That's what everyone says." Amala said.

"How's Mom?" Anil asked.

Amala sighed. "Oh, you know… as good as she can be, I suppose. I don't blame her. I really miss Dad too."

"I know. We all do." Anil said, sighing sadly. "But he's finally reunited with his people, and that is something we can be grateful for. Where is Mom?"

"Follow me." Amala said, leading them away while taking Taro from Anil and exclaiming how cute he was getting, and greeting Kala as well.

Amala let Anil through the house until he came upon Katara in the sitting room, gazing fondly at a picture that she had in her hands. Anil glanced at it and recognized it… it was a picture of her and Aang shortly before they had gotten married. Portraits were expensive, even for the Avatar, so there were only a few portraits of him in existence, and this was the only one that was just of him and Katara together.

"Hello, Mom." Anil called.

Katara looked up from the painting, gasping in happiness when she saw that it was her eldest son. "Oh, Anil! I'm so happy to see you!" She stood up, setting the painting aside, and rushing to him and pulling him into an embrace. She pulled away from Anil and turned her attention to Kala and Taro. "Oh wow! Taro's getting so big!"

"But not too big for a sweet, right?" Kala asked playfully, knowing that Katara was a doting grandmother and always had some candy lying around.

"Now, this is a grandmother's job." Katara said, producing a sweet out of nowhere and giving it to Taro.

"Thanks, Grandma." Taro said, accepting the sweet.

"Now, run along and play." Kala said, setting her son down, and allowing him to take off.

"They are so cute at that age." Katara said fondly. "And then they turn into teenagers and drive you mad."

"Hey, I was pretty good as a teenager aside from a few… incidents." Anil said, laughing nervously. "Now, Tenzin… he was a handful."

"You were all handfuls in your own way. At least Tenzin never turned up at the house in the middle of the night, drunk, and so sure that he wanted to get married to a girl he barely knew."

Anil forced a smile. He had long given up the hope that he would ever live that incident down.

"So… I'm guessing the reason you are here is…"

"To find the next Avatar… yes." Anil said. "Sho has all ready tested all the Northern Water Tribe children. It took a bit longer than expected, but he's finished now and passed the toys onto me. Now… here I am."

"I know that you are honor-bound to search every child, even if the Avatar reincarnate has been found, but can you tell me if Sho found the Avatar in the Northern Tribe?" Katara asked.

Anil hesitated before answering. He knew the answer, of course, but he wasn't supposed to reveal this sort of information. He would tell the chiefs of the Water Tribes when he found out, of course, but Katara was not the chief. But then he thought better of it. "You can't tell anyone." He said seriously. "But Sho did not find Dad's reincarnation in the Northern Tribe. The new Avatar is here, in the Southern Tribe."

Katara sighed. "I thought so."

"Do you have a guess?" Anil asked.

"Yes. A little girl." Katara said. "I've seen her around the city, and sometimes when I catch her eyes… it's like I can see a little something of Aang in her."

"That does sound promising." Anil said. "What is her name?"

"Korra." Katara answered.

* * *

Anil wasted no time in performing the ceremony to search for the next Avatar. With the Water Tribe's help, they filled a room with thousands of toys from all four nations just as Aang had once described to him, and placed the four Avatar relics among the toys: the wooden Hog-monkey, the stuffed turtle, the hand-drum, and the little propeller.

The Southern Water Tribe was larger than it had been at the end of the war, but it was still smaller than the Northern Water Tribe, and there were not a lot of eligible children to test: only half a dozen. The child that Katara had picked as the next Avatar, Korra, was also there, a bright and bubbly three year old.

The testing went by quickly for most of the children. Upon seeing the room full of toys and being told they could have any four they wanted, most of them went insane with glee, running around and snatching toys left and right without any thought. None of them touched and had a second glance at the only, grimy relics… except for Korra.

She was more thoughtful in picking the toys, being drawn to the four relics and picking all of them with almost no hesitation. Once she was done, she ran back to her mother.

"What do you say to Master Anil for giving you these toys?" The mother scolded the little girl.

Korra turned to face Anil. "Thank you, Masta Anil." She said, bowing. For just a moment, Anil saw in her eyes what Katara had seen… just a hint of his father's spirit reborn in another.

Anil smiled and almost started crying on the spot. He wiped at his eyes. "You're very welcome, little one."

She skipped out of the room, hugging the four relics to herself, babbling to her mother happily about her amazing new toys.

The new Avatar had been found… his father's spirit had been reborn in young Avatar Korra. For a moment, Anil had a crazy desire to stay in the Southern Water Tribe for the next thirteen years, just to be close to her. But he pushed the foolish notion aside. He had a nation to run, and she had to grow up as normally as possible. There will soon be plenty of time to meet her. Tenzin would be her Airbending teacher, but she would still need a teacher in the secret Avatar Arts, like the Avatar State and accessing the Spirit World. These were the things that Anil knew and could teach her. He just had to be patient…

* * *

**LES: Only one more chapter left… which will be even more "Korra" than this one.**


	51. A Nation Rebuilt

**LES: Well… here it is: the final chapter. As always, finishing this up comes with bittersweet feelings. On the one hand, this story nearly drove me crazy at time, and at the same time, it was a part of my life for well over a year. I've been through a lot of things writing this story: the breaking down of my parent's marriage and subsequent divorce, a cloud of depression that hung over me for quite a while, making updates rare, getting out of my depression again and finding that my writing-bug had returned with a vengeance, and turning 21 years old. So, usually, I toasted the end of my stories with some Sprite… but now that I'm 21… *holds up glass of champagne* Cheers! Takes place 14 years later.**

**Chapter LI: A Nation Rebuilt

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**

The seventeen year old Avatar Korra stared in wonder at the beauty of the Southern Air Temple. In the course of mastering Water, Earth, and Fire; she had a chance to see a lot of amazing sights all over the world, but the Air Temple had to be the most beautiful and ethereal.

She found it hard to believe that less than a century ago, there was nothing at any of the Air Temples except for weeds and a few refugees. Now each Air Temple was a bustling village, most of the residents being people from the other nations who had decided to live there, but each Temple was built around a core group of Airbenders that ruled the Temples.

She had seen Airbenders occasionally in her life, because they were all natural born travelers; but not as often since she left the South Pole. Airbenders visited the South Pole almost constantly, sometimes traveling from all the way on the other side of the world, to visit the Master Waterbender Katara.

Korra had learned about the Airbenders… it was said that almost every single one of them were descended from Avatar Aang, her previous incarnation. There were one or two Airbenders not descended from him, known as Spontaneous Benders, but there were dozens upon dozens of Airbenders who traced their lineage straight back to Avatar Aang.

It was almost too much to believe.

This particular Temple was run under the care of Master Anil, the eldest and greatest Airbending Master alive today, but she was not there to learn from him, but to seek out his younger brother, Master Tenzin, who was said to live at this Temple.

But Korra had her duties… she had to present herself to the Leader of each nation before her Bending training could take place.

As she walked, she stared in awe at the Airbenders of all ages taking to the sky as effortlessly as birds on small personal gliders. She couldn't believe that, in a few months, she would be able to do the same exact thing once she gained control of her wild Airbending.

Korra asked several Airbenders directions to Master Anil's sanctuary, and they all answered her, bowing to her, calling her "Avatar Korra." Though one young Airbender had jokingly referred to her as "Great-grandpa" before the boy's mother ushered him away, apologizing for him.

It took a while for her to find her way through the Temple's twisted corridors, all the while ignoring the feelings that she had been here before. It was a pretty common feeling when you were the Avatar, and Avatar Aang had been her previous life, so his memories came through the strongest.

Thanks to the directions proved by one last Airbender, Korra was able to find the Temple's sanctuary. The inside was beautifully lit by natural light being filtered through the windows. At the end of the room, there were five seats that had once seated the Head Monks of old. Now, only one of the seats were filled, the middle one, occupied by a man who was well past his physical prime, but still _the_ most powerful Airbender in the entire world.

The old Airbender smiled invitingly at her, and stood to greet her. "Avatar Korra, I've been awaiting your arrival for a long time."

"You have?" Korra asked. "But my identity was only revealed four years ago."

"I know." Master Anil said. "You probably don't remember me at all, but I was the one who tested you when you were three years old and confirmed that you were the next Avatar. Though, I have to say, the test was hardly necessary. I could tell from looking in your eyes that you were the Avatar."

"My eyes? How?"

"You are aware that most Airbenders are directly descendant from your previous incarnation, Avatar Aang?" Master Anil asked.

"Yes. Everyone knows that."

"Avatar Aang was my father. When I looked into your eyes when you were three years old, I could almost see him looking back at me." Master Anil said.

Korra was slightly disturbed by that. After all, it is the rare person who would want someone to look at them and see someone else entirely. It took stripped Korra of her individuality and everything that made her who she was. "And do you still see it?"

Master Anil glanced into her eyes. "No, I don't." He said. "I see a strong Water Tribe girl, not a playful Airbender." He paused. "You see… I probably know more about the Avatar than anyone alive. Of course, there are Avatar secrets that is known only to the Avatar, but there are other things that my father left to me when he passed, different writings about the Avatar and what they are capable of. He also left me many philosophical writings about the Avatar, all in preparation for when I become your teacher."

"I don't understand. I thought I was going to learn from Master Tenzin." Korra said.

"You will learn Airbending from my younger brother. He will be a good teacher, but it will be my job to teach you about the Avatar once your Airbending training is done. I'll teach you how to enter the Spirit World, how to contact my father and gain his help, and how to Master the Avatar State."

"You can _teach_ me how to Master the Avatar State?" Korra gasped in shock. She had several experiences with the Avatar State before, and always found it impossible to control.

"Mastering the Avatar State takes mental discipline and strength of self." Master Anil said. "It is possible."

"But I don't understand…" Korra said. "How can I assert my strength over a bunch of past Avatars who _are_ me?"

"That is a great secret that took my father many years to discover." Anil said. "Yes, you are the Avatar, but you are also Korra. You carry the Spirit of my father, but not his being. His being is in the Spirit World, only waiting for you to call on him. He does not interfere with your daily life, and will leave most of life's struggles up to you. This is because you are the Avatar, but you are your own person. You need to make the mistakes and learn the same lessons that your past lives learned over and over again. You need to gain confidence in yourself because their time to be the Avatar has passed. It is your time now, and your choices matter. As you starting taking over your duties as the Avatar, you may find that sometimes your duty and your heart will lead you in two separate directions. But you need not give up your happiness for the sake of your duty; the important thing is finding a healthy balance between the two: don't be ruled by your heart's whims and don't let your duty take over your life."

"That sounds hard." Korra said.

"It will get easier." Anil said. "My father was a Master of it. He saved the Air Nomads almost single-handedly by participating in a plan that caused him a great deal of strife. But he never forgot what made him happy, which is why he went against the nations and married my mother."

"Your mother is Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." Korra said.

Anil nodded. "My father helped to bring back the Air Nomads, and soon, it will be your duty to safe-guard all his work and help me by protecting my newly-fledged nation. The Air Nomads are coming back. True, there is still much to be done, but we are on the rise again…" He gestured out the window to the herds of Sky Bison and flocks of Airbenders on their gliders. "As the Avatar, will you help me protect this world?"

Korra watched the carefree Airbenders do their gliding, performing tricks and constantly trying to out-do each other. A little bit of Avatar Aang rose up inside her, and she suddenly longed to go out there on a glider and join her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in their games. She shock off the feeling. "Yes, Master Anil, I will help you."

* * *

Katara felt stranger than she had in years. One moment she had been lying down to sleep while her daughter provided her with a hot-water bottle for her aching joints. The decline of her Waterbending had been the worst thing about getting older, but she suddenly felt sweet relief from the aches that had plagued her for years.

She felt… young again. Her limbs were strong and her movements sure. Katara glanced down at herself in shock, not seeing the body of an elderly woman, but one in her prime.

"What…?" Katara gasped.

"Welcome, my love." A voice spoke, one that Katara hadn't heard in years and had desperately missed.

Crying in happiness, Katara spun around and saw _him_. He looked just as he did in his youth, her husband… tall, strong, and handsome. "Aang!" She screamed, rushing up to him, and pulled him into a tight embrace that certainly should have squeezed the air out of his lungs. But he accepted her embrace with a laugh and returned her embrace just as tightly.

"I've missed you so much." Aang whispered into her ear.

"But… how can this be… you're dead, aren't you?" Katara asked, and Aang nodded. "So that must mean…" Katara trailed off, realization sweeping over her.

"You are also dead, yes." Aang confirmed it for her.

"But… our children…"

"They will be fine." Aang said. "We've raised them well, and they will have the strength to carry on without us."

Katara let out a few tears as she kissed her husband with all the passion she could muster. "I continued living after you died, just as you wanted."

"I know. I saw through Korra's eyes." Aang said.

"But I wanted so badly to join you."

"You're with me now." Aang said. "Now, come with me… the best is still to come." Aang pulled away from her slightly and waved his hand.

The environment changed instantly, as if they had suddenly teleported. It was impossible in the physical world, but the Spirit World was not bound by such laws, and since Aang was the Avatar, he had a certain amount of control over the Spirit world that most Spirits of the dead did not have.

They were at a plain filled with people from all the different Nations. Lots of them were Air Nomads, Aang's lost people. Katara recognized Aang's mentor, Monk Gyatso in the front, having seen his statue at the Southern Air Temple for all of her married life. She also noticed two other Nomads who shared so much of Aang's features that they could only be his parents. But that was not all. The crowd was filled with all of her friends and family who had passed on before her… all of them gathered to greet Katara into the Spirit World. One Spirit caught her eye… "Mom…" Katara gasped.

Kya smiled at her. "Welcome, my little Waterbender." She said, and Katara cried upon hearing the voice of her mother again after so many years. "I'm so proud of everything you've done. Your husband was kind enough to fill me in on everything." She smiled fondly at Aang. "And if I may say… I highly approve of your choice of him as a husband."

"Thank you, Mom… I missed you so much…" Katara embraced her mother, and then she turned back to Aang. "Thank you, Aang. Thank you for finding all these people for me."

"I will do anything for you. Now, come, Katara… I want you to meet my family." Aang started to drag her off.

Katara stopped him. "Now will we be together forever?" She asked.

"For all eternity." Aang agreed, pulling her into a sweet kiss.

**FIN

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**LES: I almost started crying as I wrote that final word. Seriously.**

**Now, for staying with me all this time, I've got two treats for you… the first is a Live Journal entry that will tell you a ton of facts about the making of "Duty Versus Love" and some of the behind-the-scenes thought processes that led to this story. (Remove Spaces)  
**

http :/ light- eco- sage. livejournal. com /36047. html

**The second is a summary for my NEXT Kataang multi-chaptered fic. And here it is:**

**Summary: AU story in which the War has never happened. Katara's life in the Southern Water Tribe is turned upside down when she is forced into an arranged marriage with the Avatar. But perhaps arranged marriages aren't so bad after all.**

**Keep an eye out for it.**

**As a final note, I'd like to thank everyone who read this story, especially the people who reviewed with helpful ideas. You have no idea how not-as-awesome this story would have been without all your amazing feed-back. **


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